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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


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C  (JocJi  -r-scne.     r\o  be  v^t^ 
LIVES    AND    DISCOVERIES 


OF 


FAMOUS     TRAVELLERS. 


dTomptlefc  bg  tfje  IBtritor  of 

'THE  ENGLISH  CIRCUMNAVIGATORS,'  'THE  ENGLISH  EXPLORERS,'  '  THE  TREASURY 

OF  MODERN  PIOGRAPHY,'  ETC. 


DAVID  LIVINGSTONE,  LL.D.,  D.C.L. 

SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER. 

HENR  Y  M.  S  TA  NLE  Y. 

MAJOR  SERPA  PINTO.  -    (fa^j£Z-^u^- 


FIFTH    THOUSAND. 


NEW     YORK: 

R.     WORTHINGTON, 

770     BROADWAY. 

1883. 


J^L 


CTr 


4 


PREFATORY    NOTE. 


HE  following  accounts  of  the  Lives  and  Discoveries 
of  several  distinguished  modern  Travellers  form 
another  volume  in  the  list  of  popular  works, 
issued  by  the  Publishers  with  the  view  of  meeting  the 
steadily  increasing  demand  for  reading  of  a  wholesome  and 
instructive  character.  The  details  in  each  case,  for  each 
narrative,  have  been  drawn  directly  from  the  original  sources 
of  information, —  Dr.  Livingstone's  Missionary  Travels;  Sir 
Samuel  Baker's  Albert  Nyanza  and  Is?nailia ;  Mr.  H.  M. 
Stanley's  Across  the  Dark  Continent ;  and  for  Major  Pinto's 
travels,  the  letter  submitted  to  Lord  Northbrook,  President 
of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society. 


M313608 


DLiir-iLniriLnLniniriirpEi 


CONTENTS. 


David  Livingstone,  LL.D.,  D.C.L.,  . 


PAGE 

5 


Sir  Samuel  White  Baker, 33 

Henry  M.  Stanley,     .        .        . 146 


Major  Serpa  Pinto, 221 


T^s&riw.f  J  J  JJ  J  SJ>  <?*<*■*'?_ 


V^X/^^T^T-T^ 


LIVES   AND    DISCOVERIES   OF 
FAMOUS    TRAVELLERS. 


DAVID    LIVINGSTONE,    LL.D.,    D.C.L. 

HE  facts  in  the  early  life  of  Livingstone,  though 
familiar  enough,  have  an  undying  interest  to  the 
student  of  biography.  In  a  character  which 
embraced  so  many  simple,  sincere,  and  earnest  elements, 
there  is  a  danger  of  overlooking  his  simple,  manly  great- 
ness. His  great-grandfather  fell  at  the  battle  of  Culloden ;  his 
grandfather  was  a  small  farmer  in  Ulva,  where  Neil  Livingstone, 
his  father,  was  born,  and  his  youth  was  nurtured  amongst 
the  traditionary  legends  of  a  past  age.  David  Livingstone 
was  born  at  Blantyre,  near  Glasgow,  in  1813. 

Livingstone  relates  that  his  grandfather  could  give  par- 
ticulars of  the  lives  of  his  ancestors  for  six  generations.  One 
of  these  traditions  told  of  a  hardy  islander,  who,  on  his 
death-bed,  called  his  children  round  him,  and  said,  *  Now, 
in  my  lifetime,  I  have  searched  most  carefully  through  all 
the  traditions  I  could  find  of  our  family,  and  I  never  could 

discover  that  there  was  a  dishonest    man  among   our   fore- 

5 


FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


fathers.  If,  therefore,  any  of  you,  or  any  of  your  children, 
should  take  to  dishonest  ways,  it  will  not  be  because  it 
runs  in  our  blood ;  it  does  not  belong  to  you.  I  leave 
this  precept  with  you,  "  Be  honest ! " '  Like  many  of  the 
Highlanders,  his  ancestors  were  Roman  Catholics;  but  he 
says  *  they  were  made  Protestants  by  the  laird  coming 
round  with  a  man  having  a  yellow  staff,  which  would  seem 
to  have  attracted  more  attention  than  his  teaching,  for  the 
new  religion  went  long  afterwards,  perhaps  it  does  so  still, 
by  the  name  of  "the  religion  of  the  yellow  stick." ' 

The  island  of  Ulva  yielding  insufficient  support  for  a 
numerous  family,  his  grandfather  had  removed  to  Blantyre 
Works,  situated  on  the  Clyde,  near  Glasgow.  His  sons 
were  received  as  clerks  in  the  factory  there.  His  uncles 
entered  the  army  or  navy,  but  his  father  remained  at  home, 
carrying  on  the  business  of  a  small  tea-dealer,  but  was,  as 
his  son  remarks,  too  conscientious  to  become  rich.  They 
were  members  of  the  Church  of  Scotland,  a  religious  estab- 
lishment which  he  speaks  of  as  having  been  an  incalculable 
blessing  to  the  country.  During  the  last  twenty  years  of  his 
life,  however,  he  went  to  an  Independent  church  in  Hamilton, 
where  he  held  the  office  of  deacon.  Livingstone  revered 
his  father's  memory,  and  spoke  of  him  as  presenting  to  his 
family  a  continuously  consistent,  pious  example.  His  mother 
he  remembered  as  an  anxious  housewife,  striving  to  make 
both  ends  meet. 

David  Livingstone,  at  the  age  of  ten,  was  sent  to  the 
factory  as  a  *  piecer,'  to  help  the  household  income.  Part 
of  his  first  week's  wages  he  expended  in  buying  Ruddiman's 
Rudiments  of  Latin.  The  study  of  Latin  he  vigorously 
pursued  at  an  evening  school,  which  met  between  the  hours 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE. 


of  eight  and  ten  at  night.  Not  unfrequently  he  would  con- 
tinue his  studies  till  twelve  o'clock,  although  he  had  to  be 
at  the  factory  by  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  till  eight  in  the 
evening,  with  intervals  for  breakfast  and  dinner.  He  said, 
in  writing  his  Missionary  Travels,  that  he  knew  Virgil  and 
Horace  better  in  these  early  days  than  he  did  at  that  time. 
In  addition  he  read  everything  he  could  lay  his  hands  on, 
except  novels.  Works  of  travel,  or  books  relating  to  scientific 
research,  were  his  favourites;  and  with  his  limited  leisure 
he  managed  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  the  scenery/ 
botany,  and  geology  of  his  native  district.  He  had  a  habit 
of  fixing  upon  the  spinning-jenny  the  book  he  was  reading, 
so  that  his  eye  could  catch  the  sentence  as  he  passed  on 
his  work.  His  father,  with  a  narrowness  of  mind  character- 
istic of  many  good  men  in  his  position,  would  have  preferred 
that  he  should  have  been  poring  over  such  works  as  the 
Cloud  of  Witnesses,  or  Boston's  Fourfold  State,  to  reading 
such  miscellaneous  literature.  In  the  fresh  glow  of  Christian 
ardour,  Livingstone  determined  upon  becoming  a  medical 
missionary  to  China,  and  began  to  turn  his  mind  towards 
preparation  for  the  mission  field. 

Livingstone  was  promoted  to  the  more  laborious  toil  of 
a  cotton  spinner  while  in  his  nineteenth  year,  and  he  was 
thus  enabled  to  support  himself  while  attending  the  medical, 
Greek,  and  Divinity  classes  in  Glasgow.  *  I  never,'  he  wrote, 
'received  a  larthing  of  aid  from  any  one,  and  should  have 
accomplished  my  project  of  going  to  China  as  a  medical 
missionary  in  the  course  of  time  by  my  own  efforts,  had 
not  some  friends  advised  my  joining  the  London  Missionary 
Society,  on  account  of  its  perfectly  unsectarian  character. 
It  sends  neither  Episcopacy,  nor  Presbyterianism,  nor  Inde- 


8  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

pendency,  but  the  Gospel  of  Christ  to  the  heathen.  This 
exactly  agreed  with  my  ideas  of  what  a  missionary  society 
ought  to  do  ;  but  it  was  not  without  a  pang  that  I  offered 
myself,  for  it  was  not  quite  agreeable  to  one  accustomed  to 
work  his  own  way  to  become,  in  a  measure,  dependent  on 
others.  And  I  would  not  have  been  much  put  about  though 
my  offer  had  been  rejected.'  When  properly  qualified  to 
carry  out  his  original  plan,  the  opium  war  was  raging  in 
China,  so  he  found  it  inexpedient  to  go  there.  Turning 
his  thoughts  to  Africa,  where  Moffat  was  labouring,  he  went 
through  a  more  extended  theological  course  in  England 
than  he  had  previously  done  in  Glasgow.  In  1840,  after 
a  preliminary  examination,  he  was  ordained  as  a  medical 
missionary  by  the  London  Missionary  Society.  He  sailed 
for  the  Cape,  after  a  brief  stay  at  which  he  landed  at  Port 
Natal,  and  soon  made  personal  acquaintance  at  Kuruman 
with  the  Rev.  Robert  Moffat,  whose  daughter  he  afterwards 
married. 

After  remaining  at  Kuruman  and  the  neighbourhood  for  a 
few  months,  Livingstone  took  up  his  quarters  in  the  Backwain 
country  at  Lepelole ;  and  cutting  himself  off  from  all  inter- 
course with  Europeans  for  six  months,  devoted  himself  to 
acquiring  an  insight  into  the  habits,  ways  of  thinking,  laws, 
and  language  of  the  Bechuanas,  and  in  laying  the  foundations 
of  a  settlement  by  making  a  canal  for  irrigation  purposes  from 
a  river  near  by.  He  visited  the  Bakaa,  Bamangwato,  and 
the  Makalaka,  living  between  220  and  230  south  latitude. 
Obliged  to  leave  the  country  of  the  Backwains,  he  settled 
in  the  valley  of  Mabotsa,  the  home  of  the  Makatla  branch 
of  the  Bechuana  tribe.  The  place  was  infested  with  lions, 
which  would  attack  the  herds  sometimes  in   broad   daylight. 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE. 


It  was  in  this  neighbourhood  that  Livingstone  had  the 
memorable  encounter  with  the  lion,  when  the  bone  of  his 
left  arm  was  crushed  into  splinters.  After  labouring  earnestly 
for  some  time  among  the  Makatla,  he  visited  Cape  Town 
in  1844,  and  during  his  visit  was  married  to  Moffat's  eldest 
daughter.  In  1845  they  set  up  house  at  Skokuane,  then 
the  headquarters  of  the  Backwain  chief  Sechele,  who,  although 
a  rain-maker,  helped  forward  the  work  of  the  noble-hearted 
missionary,  and  even  proposed  to  convert  his  people  in  a 
body  through  the  agency  of  whips  made  of  rhinoceros  hide. 
The  description  which  Livingstone  gave  of  the  belief  of  the 
white  man,  and  of  *  the  great  white  throne,  and  Him  who 
shall  sit  on  it,'  caused  this  chief  to  exclaim,  *  You  startle 
me.  These  words  make  all  my  bones  to  shake.  I  have 
no  more  strength  in  me.  But  my  forefathers  were  living  at 
the  same  time  as  yours  were,  and  how  is  it  they  did  not  send 
them  word  about  these  terrible  things  sooner?  They  all 
passed  into  darkness  without  knowing  whither  they  were  going/ 
His  early  efforts  among  the  Backwains  were  greatly  retarded 
by  a  drought,  which  lasted  three  years,  and  which  was  partly 
attributed  to  Livingstone's  influence  over  Sechele,  their  rain- 
maker and  chief. 

The  exertions  of  those  explorers  who  preceded  David 
Livingstone,  however  useful,  were  mostly  limited  to  the  Kaffir 
regions ;  and  it  was  not  till  the  time  of  Livingstone  that  any 
attempt  was  made  to  pass  what  is  called  the  desert  of  Kala- 
hari, comprehending  the  space  from  the  Orange  river,  in 
south  latitude  290,  to  Lake  Ngami  in  the  north,  and  from 
about  240  east  longitude  to  near  the  west  coast.  Dr.  Living- 
stone formed  the  resolution  to  pass  this  desert ;  and  from 
1849  ne  was  engaged  in  carrying  that  resolution  into  effect. 


io  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

The  region  of  the  desert  is  occupied  by  the  Bakalahari  and 
the  Bushmen,  who  prey  upon  the  game,  chiefly  antelopes, 
which  require  only  a  scanty  supply  of  water,  and  feed  upon 
the  grass  and  numerous  tuberous  plants.  The  start  was 
made  in  June,  and  the  party  proceeded  without  interruption. 
They  came  on  the  second  day  to  Serotli,  where  the  country 
is  flat,  and  composed  of  white  sand.  After  passing  the  salt- 
pan district  of  Ncho-kotsa,  where  the  play  of  the  mirage  on 
the  salt  incrustations  deceived  them  into  the  belief  that  the 
reservoirs  were  lakes,  they  came  to  the  river  Zouga,  running 
to  the  north-east,  and  described  by  the  people  as  coming  out 
of  the  Lake  Ngami.  The  people  of  this  district  possess  a 
language  which  shows  that  they  are  connected  by  lineage 
with  the  north.  On  ascending  the  river,  described  as  beauti- 
fully wooded,  they  found  a  large  stream  flowing  into  it  called 
the  Tamunak'le.  The  information  received  that  this  stream 
came  from  a  country  of  rivers,  first  suggested  to  Dr.  Living- 
stone that  there  might  be  a  highway  capable  of  being  traversed 
by  boats  to  an  unexplored  region ;  and  when  the  party  came 
to  the  lake,  this  idea  became  so  predominant  that  it  seemed 
to  diminish  the  value  of  the  actual  discovery.  The  lake, 
supposed  to  be  about  seventy  miles  in  circumference,  is 
shallow,  and  never  can  be  of  much  commercial  importance. 
Dr.  Livingstone  returned  to  Kolobeng.  His  next  purpose 
was  to  go  up  the  Tamunak'le  and  visit  Sebituane,  the 
chief  of  the  Makololo,  who  live  in  the  swamps  between  the 
Chobe  and  the  Zambesi.  In  June  1851  he  saw,  in  the  centre  of 
the  continent,  the  Zambesi  itself,  which  was  not  previously 
known  to  exist  there  at  all;  and  having  come  to  a  resolution 
to  ascend  it  from  Sesheke,  he  subsequently  made  the  necessary 
preparations.     He  collected  canoes  to  the  number  of  thirty- 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  n 

three,  with  about  160  men.  They  went  rapidly  along,  admiring 
the  beauty  of  the  banks,  a  mile  asunder,  and  the  many  islands 
finely  wooded.  The  occurrence  of  cataracts  forced  them  at 
times  to  carry  their  canoes  ;  but  they  soon  made  their  way 
to  the  Barotse  valley,  a  hundred  miles  in  length,  and  bearing 
a  resemblance  to  that  of  the  Nile,  with  its  capital,  Naliele, 
erected  on  an  eminence.  Up  to  Libonta  the  river  presents 
the  appearance  of  low  banks  without  trees ;  but  twenty  miles 
beyond  that  the  forest  comes  down  to  the  water's  edge,  and 
along  with  it  the  plague  of  Africa — the  tsetse,  a  fly  whose 
bite  is  fatal  to  domestic  oxen,  and  to  no  other  animals. 
Having  at  length  arrived  at  Ma-Sekelutu,  the  chief  who 
accompanied  the  expedition  resolved  to  return,  and  the  party 
accordingly  made  again  for  Sesheke.  The  Doctor  having 
failed  to  discover  a  healthy  place  for  a  settlement,  now  de- 
termined on  endeavouring  to  open  a  path  to  the  west  coast. 
This  he  put  into  execution  by  what  may  be  called  his  third 
journey.  In  this  he  reached  the  junction  of  the  Loeti  and 
the  Zambesi,  and  having  returned  to  Linyanti,  he  started  for 
the  west  coast.  Reaching  the  confluence  of  the  Leeba  with 
the  Zambesi,  he  crossed  the  Quango,  and  arrived  at  Loanda. 
On  his  return  to  Linyanti,  once  more  he  visited  the  falls 
called  Victoria,  arrived  at  the  Tete,  and  finally  at  Quilimane, 
on  the  east  coast. 

Dr.  Livingstone  had  thus  laid  open  a  wide  zone,  compre- 
hending the  country  of  rivers ;  but  as  the  Zambesi  was  fed 
by  large  streams  from  the  north,  it  was  necessary  that  these 
should  be  explored.  One  of  these,  the  Shird,  he  ascended 
by  means  of  a  small  steamer  in  1859.  He  found  it  a  stream 
with  a  breadth  of  160  yards,  and  a  depth  of  ten  or  twelve 
feet.     By  this  means  he  was  led  to  the  Shirwah,  a  lake  two 


12  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


hundred  miles  long  and  fifty  broad,  with  an  elevation  above 
the  sea-level  of  1800  feet,  and,  like  the  Tanganyika,  sur- 
rounded by  verdant  mountains,  whereof  one,  Mount  Zumba, 
is  7000  feet  high.  In  the  vicinity  of  this  the  members  of  the 
mission  were  located.  Fish,  leeches,  alligators,  and  sea-cows 
abound  in  the  lake,  the  water  of  which  is  brackish. 

In  August  1 86 1  Dr.  Livingstone  and  his  party  proceeded 
to  explore  another  lake  called  Nyassa,  by  ascending  farther 
*the  Shire,  and  passing  through  a  valley  with  many  villages 
and  plantations.  Coming  to  a  series  of  rapids  called  Murchi- 
son  Cataracts,  they  were  obliged  to  carry  a  four-oared  boat 
for  a  period  of  three  weeks  to  get  again  to  the  navigable  part 
of  the  river.  These  cataracts  extend  over  thirty-five  miles  of 
latitude,  with  a  total  fall,  from  the  first  to  the  last,  of  1200 
feet.  These  obstacles  having  been  surmounted,  the  travellers 
again  launched  their  boat  in  the  upper  parts  of  the  Shird,  and 
soon  thereafter  they  found  themselves  floating  on  the  Nyassa 
Lake,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  the  Star  Lake,  the  western 
shores  of  which  they  explored  for  two  hundred  miles,  partly 
by  the  banks  on  foot,  and  partly  by  the  boat. 

This  lake  they  found  to  be  exposed  to  frequent  storms,  so 
violent  that  the  party  could  not  venture  far  from  the  shore ; 
yet  they  got  some  rough  measurements  by  triangulation  at 
those  places  where  the  opposite  bank  could  be  seen.  The  lake 
is  represented  as  having  something  of  the  boot  shape  of  Italy, 
being  narrowest  at  the  ankle,  where  it  is  20  miles  across  ; 
its  average  breadth  is  38  miles,  and  its  length  350  miles.  It 
is  estimated  as  lying  1500  feet  above  the  sea-level,  and  being 
about  350  miles  from  the  coast  of  Mozambique.  The  party 
could  learn  nothing  as  to  its  northern  extremity,  but  it  was  sup- 
posed to  extend  beyond  the  parallel  of  the  tenth  degree  south, 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  13 


its  southern  extremity  being  in  the  fourteenth  degree.  It  is 
surrounded  by  low  marshy  plains,  frequented  by  water-fowl, 
and  forming  a  haunt  for  the  elephant  and  other  wild  beasts. 
Beyond,  at  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  were  seen  ranges  of 
granite  hills  covered  with  wood.  The  party  estimated  the 
depth  of  the  lake  by  the  colour  of  the  water ;  near  the  shore 
it  is  bright  green,  and  towards  the  centre  a  deep  blue,  like 
the  colour  of  the  sea.  Within  a  mile  of  the  shore  a  sounding 
line  of  200  fathoms  failed  to  reach  the  bottom.  The  tem- 
perature of  the  water  was  720  Fahrenheit,  and  the  fish  were 
plentiful.  It  was  further  observed  that  the  lake  is  fed  by 
many  streams,  no  fewer  than  twelve  having  been  crossed  by 
the  party  as  they  proceeded  on  the  west  side ;  and  the  con- 
sequence is  that  during  the  rainy  season  the  waters  rise 
sometimes  to  the  extent  of  three  feet. 

The  natives  inhabiting  the  country  to  the  south  of  the 
lake  are  of  one  tribe  and  one  language,  rearing  their  villages 
so  close  together  that  they  form  a  continuous  line.  They  are 
of  a  superior  class  of  negroes,  good  cultivators  of  the  soil, 
and  hardy  fishermen.  Like  most  of  the  people  in  the 
countries  traversed  by  the  party,  those  in  this  region  were 
civil  to  the  strangers,  and  exacted  no  tribute.  The  slave 
trade,  which  seems  to  embrace  all  regions  occupied  by  the 
negro,  was  found  here  to  be  carried  on  with  activity,  there 
being  even  a  boat  called  a  dhow  ready  for  carrying  the  victims 
from  one  side  to  the  other. 

Thus  was  another  of  the  African  problems  solved ;  for 
although  Portuguese  travellers  had  mentioned  that  there  was 
a  lake  in  this  quarter,  and  even  given  it  a  name,  Maravi, 
according  to  which  it  figures  in  some  old  maps,  yet  the 
accounts  were  so  vague  and  valueless  that  the  lake  did  not 


14  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

appear  in  the  more  modern  maps.  Other  problems  remained, 
such  as  the  origin  of  the  Rovuma  river,  which  fell  into  the 
Indian  Ocean  about  the  tenth  degree  of  southern  latitude. 
At  this  time  Dr.  Livingstone  and  a  party  went  up  it  thirty 
miles,  but  the  waters  began  to  fall  so  rapidly  that  they  were 
obliged  to  return. 

In  the  Nyassa  district  traces  of  the  odious  slave  trade  were 
everywhere  met  with  in  the  shape  of  ruined  villages,  broken 
utensils,  and  human  skeletons.  The  extent  of  the  slave  trade 
in  this  district  was  borne  out  by  the  fact  that  19,000  slaves 
passed  through  the  custom-house  of  the  island  of  Zanzibar  at 
that  time. 

On  the  27th  April  1862,  Mrs.  Livingstone  died  from  the 
effects  of  climate  at  Shupanga,  on  the  Zambesi,  where  she 
was  buried.  The  Rev.  James  Stewart  of  the  Free  Church  of 
Scotland  read  the  service  over  the  grave.  Livingstone  now 
employed  himself  in  exploring  the  Rovuma,  which  he  found  to 
have  two  feeders — one  from  the  south-west,  rising  in  the 
mountains  of  Nyassa,  the  other  from  the  west-north-west.  He 
next  continued  his  researches  on  the  Zambesi  and  Shire\  In 
January  1863,  the  Pioneer  steamed  up  the  Shire  with  the 
Lady  Nyassa  in  tow.  Traces  of  the  dreadful  results  of  a 
slave  raid  were  everywhere  visible.  The  miserable  inhabitants 
who  had  been  spared  were  in  a  state  of  semi-starvation.  Dead 
bodies  were  frequently  met  in  the  huts  '  with  the  poor  rags 
round  the  loins,  the  skull  fallen  off  the  pillow ;  the  little 
skeleton  of  the  child,  that  had  perished  first,  rolled  up  in  a  mat 
between  two  large  skeletons. "  Mr.  Thornton,  geologist  of 
the  expedition,  died  here,  after  assisting  Baron  Vanderdecken 
in  a  survey  of  the  Kilimanjaro  Mountains ;  the  height  of  the 
highest  member  of  the  range   has   since   been  proved  to  be 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  15 

18,700  feet,  and  the  height  of  a  companion  peak,  only  by  a  little 
overtopping  the  line  of  perpetual  snow,  to  be  2500  feet  lower. 

While  engaged  in  making  a  road  through  the  forest  to 
connect  the  lower  Shire  with  the  upper,  the  Rev.  Charles 
Livingstone  and  Dr.  John  Kirk,  after  having  been  repeatedly 
seized  with  fever  and  dysentery,  were  obliged  to  part  from 
Livingstone  on  the  19th  of  May  1863,  and  return  home. 
Only  two  months  later  he  received  a  despatch  from  Lord 
John  Russell,  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs,  withdrawing  the 
expedition.  In  accordance  with  these  instructions,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  the  mouth  of  the  Zambesi  and  to  Zanzibar,  and 
navigating  the  vessel  himself,  sailed  for  Bombay,  a  distance 
of  over  2500  miles.  He  then  disposed  of  his  vessel,  the  Lady 
Ny assets  for  ^2000.  Unfortunately,  soon  after  this  money  was 
committed  to  the  hands  of  a  Bombay  banker,  he  became 
bankrupt,  and  the  whole  sum  was  lost.  On  his  return  to 
England  in  1864,  Livingstone  would  have  retired  from  active 
service.  Sir  Roderick  Murchison  had  asked  him  to  name  a 
leader  for  a  new  expedition  to  explore  the  watershed  between 
Nyassa  and  Tanganyika.  The  eminent  traveller  who  had 
been  asked  refused,  and  Sir  Roderick  appealed  to  Livingstone, 
and  overruled  any  objections  he  had  to  make. 

On  the  14th  August  1865,  with  recruited  health,  and  after 
having  superintended  the  publication  of  his  explorations  on 
the  Zambesi,  the  Shire,  the  Rovuma,  and  Lake  Nyassa,  he 
began  to  make  preparations  for  a  new  expedition.  Sir 
Roderick  Murchison,  president  of  the  Geographical  Society, 
requested  him  this  time  to  undertake  the  exploration  of  the 
intermediate  country  lying  between  Northern  Nyassa  and 
Tanganyika.  Earl  Russell  renewed  Livingstone's  appointment 
as    H.M.  Consul  to  the  tribes  in   the   interior.      Mr.    James 


1 6  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

Young  of  Kelly,  one  of  his  oldest  friends,  subscribed  ^iooo 
to  further  this  expedition,  and  ^500  was  given  by  the  Govern- 
ment, and  another  ^500  by  the  Royal  Geographical  Society 
for  a  like  purpose. 

He  set  out  from  England  on  the  14th  August  1865,  accom- 
panied by  his  daughter  Agnes  as  far  as  Paris,  thence  pro- 
ceeding alone  direct  to  Bombay.  The  Government  of  that 
Presidency  assisted  him  with  a  supply  of  arms  and  other 
necessaries  for  the  expedition.  He  also  secured  the  services 
of  Chuma,  Wakatani,  Edward  Gardner,  Simon  Price,  and 
other  Zambesi  liberated  slaves  who  were  being  educated  in  a 
Nassick  school  there.  Having  supplied  the  other  necessary 
requirements  for  his  explorations,  he  sailed  from  Bombay  to 
Zanzibar.  At  Zanzibar  the  British  Consul,  Dr.  G.  E.  Seward, 
did  all  in  his  power  to  further  the  expedition. 

On  the  19th  March  1866,  he  sailed  from  Zanzibar  for 
Mikindany  Bay,  a  deep  indentation  in  the  East  African  coast, 
about  twenty  miles  north  of  the  river  Rovuma,  and  about  five 
degrees  of  latitude  south  of  the  island  of  Zanzibar.  His  ex- 
pedition consisted  of  Dr.  Livingstone  himself,  ten  natives  of 
Johanna,  engaged  by  Mr.  Sunley  the  English  Consul,  thirteen 
natives  of  the  Zambesi,  and  thirteen  Sepoys  of  the  Bombay 
Marine — altogether  thirty-seven  souls.  The  only  European  of 
the  party  was  Dr.  Livingstone.  The  animals  taken  with  him 
were  six  camels,  four  buffaloes,  four  asses,  and  two  mules, 
with  which  he  had  resolved  he  should  experiment  as  to  their 
adaptability  for  African  travelling. 

Livingstone  and  his  party  started  for  the  interior  in  a  south- 
westerly direction,  with  the  intention  of  crossing  the  Rovuma 
to  reach  the  north  end  of  Lake  Nyassa.  A  few  letters  reached 
the  coast  for  friends  at  home,  informing  them  how  he  was 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  17 


succeeding  in  his  journey.  Then  there  came  a  long  pause, 
to  be  broken,  however,  in  December  1866,  by  the  sad  intelli- 
gence of  his  murder  by  a  predatory  band  of  the  Mazitu. 

'  After  some  deliberation,'  says  a  leading  journalist,  '  Sir 
Roderick  Murchison  and  the  Geographical  Society  entreated 
the  Government  to  equip  a  boat  expedition  to  proceed  to 
Lake  Nyassa,  to  discover  the  truth  of  the  report,  as  there 
were  a  great  many  influential  people  in  England  who,  like 
Sir  Roderick,  doubted,  for  several  reasons,  the  veracity  of 
Musa. 

'This  boat  expedition  was  entrusted  to  Mr.  E.  D.  Young, 
a  warrant-officer  of  the  Royal  Navy,  and  Lieutenant  Faulkner 
of  the  17th  Lancers,  and  departed  from  England  on  the  nth 
June  for  the  Zambesi.  Arriving  at  that  river,  a  portable  steel 
boat,  built  in  sections,  was  put  together,  and  the  first  search 
expedition  after  Livingstone  started  for  the  Shire\ 

'  At  Chibisa's,  below  the  Murchison  Cataracts  of  the  Shire, 
the  steel  boat  was  disconnected,  thence  carried  overland  a 
distance  of  forty  miles,  then  launched  on  the  quiet  waters  of 
the  upper  Shire,  up  which  the  party  sailed  for  the  Nyassa 
Lake.  Mr.  Young  proved  conclusively  that,  though  no 
member  of  the  expedition  saw  the  traveller,  Dr.  Livingstone 
was  not  murdered  anywhere  near  the  locality  mentioned  by 
Musa.  The  natives  round  about  solemnly  averred  that  he 
had  gone  to  the  west  in  good  condition  and  health.  At 
Marenga  the  people  said  that  the  Johanna  men  had  returned 
to  their  village  but  two  days  after  they  had  departed  from 
the  lake  in  company  with  the  Doctor,  and  that,  when  they 
were  asked  why  they  had  returned,  they  replied  that  they 
had  simply  agreed  to  take  him  so  far,  and  therefore  were  at 
liberty  to  return.      This   was  at  .least  confirmatory  evidence 

III.  B 


1 8  FA  MO  US  TRA  VELLERS. 

that  the  Johanna  men  had  lied ;  that  they  had  only  concocted 
their  tragic  tale  after  their  departure  from  Nyassa  in  order 
to  obtain  their  pay  from  the  Consul. 

4  In  1868,  however,  letters  came  from  Livingstone  himself, 
dated  at  Bemba,  February  1867,  wherein  he  explained  that 
he  had  been  unable  to  send  despatches  before,  owing  to  the 
absence  of  caravans  in  the  new  lands  he  had  traversed.' 

On  the  1 8th  of  July  1868,  Livingstone  had  seen,  for  the 
first  time,  the  shores  of  Lake  Bemba,  or  Bangweolo,  which 
had  never  before  been  visited  by  a  European.  The  country 
around  the  lake  was  all  flat,  and  very  much  denuded  of  trees, 
except  the  motsikiri,  or  mosikisi,  which  has  fine,  dark,  dense 
foliage,  and  is  spared  for  its  shade  and  the  fatty  oil  yielded 
by  its  seeds.  The  bottom  of  the  lake  consisted  of  fine  white 
sand,  and  a  broad  belt  of  strong  rushes,  about  a  hundred 
yards  wide,  shows  shallow  water.  The  innumerable  springs 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  this  lake  Dr.  Livingstone  looked 
upon  as  the  primary  or  ultimate  sources  of  the  Zambesi, 
Congo,  and  Nile.  In  his  supposition  regarding  the  latter  he 
was,  however,  mistaken. 

In  October  of  the  same  year,  Livingstone  had  made  his 
way  to  Kalongosi.  At  Kabwabwata,  some  of  his  old  servants 
who  had  previously  deserted  returned  to  him.  An  outbreak 
of  war  among  the  native  tribes  detained  him  here  for  some 
time.  He  was  now  endeavouring  to  reach  Ujiji.  Early  in 
1869,  a  dangerous  illness  left  evils  behind  it  from  which  he 
never  fully  recovered.  In  January  he  had  to  be  carried. 
On  14th  February  he  again  reached  Tanganyika.  The  cough 
and  chest  pain  from  which  he  was  suffering  now  diminished, 
although  he  was  greatly  emaciated.  On  the  1 7th  November 
he  reached  the  Luamo  river  (200  yards  wide).     In  January 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  19 

1870,  Livingstone  again  suffered  from  sickness  and  choleraic 
symptoms.  In  July  he  was  terribly  troubled  by  irritable  eating 
ulcers,  which  had  again  fastened  on  his  feet. 

While  at  Nyangwe,  Manyuema,  Mr.  Stanley  said  he  found, 
on  diligent  inquiries,  that  *  Livingstone's  residence,  his  travels 
hither  and  thither,  and  his  journeys  from  and  to  Ujiji,  must 
have  embraced  a  period  of  three  years  or  thereabouts.  The 
distance  from  Ujiji  to  Nyangwe  is  about  350  English  miles, 
which  we  performed  in  forty  days,  inclusive  of  halts.  I  find 
he  was  laid  up  a  very  long  time  with  a  most  painful  disease 
of  the  feet  at  Kabambarre.  From  native  accounts  he  seems 
to  have  been  there  from  six  to  twelve  months.  The  traveller 
"  Daoud,"  or  David,  is  a  well-remembered  figure  in  this  region 
between  Nyangwe  and  the  Tanganyika.  He  has  made  an  im- 
pression on  the  people  which  will  not  be  forgotten  for  a  genera- 
tion at  least.  "  Did  you  know  him  ?  "  old  Mwana  Ngoi  of  the 
Luama  asked  of  me  eagerly.  Upon  receiving  an  affirmative, 
he  said  to  his  sons  and  brothers,  "  Do  you  hear  what  he  says  ? 
He  knew  the  good  white  man.  Ah !  we  shall  hear  all  about 
him."  Then,  turning  to  me,  he  asked  me,  "Was  he  not  a 
very  good  man?"  to  which  I  replied,  "Yes,  my  friend;  he 
was  good :  far  better  than  any  man,  white  or  Arab,  you  will 
ever  see  again."  "Ah!  yes;  you  speak  true.  He  has  saved 
me  from  being  robbed  many  a  time  by  the  Arabs,  and  he  was 
so  gentle  and  patient,  and  told  us  such  pleasant  stories  of 
the  wonderful  land  of  the  white  people.  Hm',  the  aged 
white,  was  a  good  man  indeed ! "  Had  old  Mwana  Ngoi 
been  able  to  speak  as  an  educated  person,  I  should  no  doubt 
have  had  something  like  a  narrative  of  David  Livingstone's 
virtues  from  him ;  whereas,  not  being  educated,  much  of  what 
he  said  was  broken  by  frequent  hm's  and  shakings  of  his  head, 


2  o  FA  MO  US  TRA  VELLERS. 

as  though  the  traveller's  good  qualities  were  beyond  descrip- 
tion or  enumeration.  He  wisely  left  the  rest  to  my  imagina- 
tion, and  so  I  leave  them  to  you.  But  what  has  struck  me, 
while  tracing  Livingstone  to  his  utmost  reach  —  this  Arab 
depot  of  Nyangwe — revived  all  my  grief  and  pity  for  him, 
greater,  indeed,  than  even  his  own  relation  of  sorrowful  and 
heavy  things,  is  that  he  does  not  seem  to  have  been  aware 
that  he  was  sacrificing  himself  unnecessarily,  nor  submit  to 
be  warned  of  the  havoc  of  age,  and  of  the  little  power  left  him. 
With  the  weight  of  many  years  pressing  on  him,  the  shortest 
march  wearying  him,  compelling  him  to  halt  many  days  to 
recover  his  strength,  a  serious  attack  of  illness  frequently 
prostrating  him,  with  neither  men  nor  means  to  obtain  proper 
escort  and  enable  him  to  make  practical  progress,  Livingstone 
was  at  last  like  a  blind  and  infirm  man,  aimlessly  moving 
about.  From  my  conscience — with  not  a  whit  of  my  admira- 
tion and  love  for  him  lessened  in  the  smallest  degree,  but 
rather  increased  by  what  I  have  heard  from  Arabs  and  natives 
— I  must  say  I  think  his  very  hardest  taskmaster  was  himself. ' 

The  natives  of  Bambarre  and  Manyuema  he  found  to  be 
very  superstitious.  On  the  18th  August  he  made  the  following 
notes  in  his  journal  at  Bambarre  : — 

*I  learn  from  Josut  and  Moenepembe,  who  have  been  to 
Katanga  and  beyond,  that  there  is  a  lake  n.n.w.  of  the 
copper  mines,  and  twelve  days  distant.  It  is  called  Chibungo, 
and  is  said  to  be  large.  Seven  days  west  of  Katanga  flows 
another  Lualaba,  the  dividing  line  between  Rua  and  Lunda 
or  Londa.  It  is  very  large,  and,  as  the  Lufira  flows  into 
Chibungo,  it  is  probable  that  the  Lualaba  West  and  Lufira 
form  the  lake.  Lualaba  West  and  Lufira  rise  by  fountains 
south  of  Katanga,  three  or  four  days  off.     Luambai  and  Lunga 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  21 

fountains  are  only  about  ten  miles  distant  from  Lualaba  West 
and  Dufira  fountains :  a  mound  rises  between  them,  the  most 
remarkable  in  Africa.  Were  this  spot  in  Armenia,  it  would 
serve  exactly  the  description  of  the  garden  of  Eden  in  Genesis, 
with  its  four  rivers — the  Gihon,  Pison,  Hiddekel,  and  Eu- 
phrates. As  it  is,  it  possibly  gave  occasion  to  the  story  told 
to  Herodotus  by  the  secretary  of  Minerva  in  the  city  of  Sais, 
about  two  hills  with  conical  tops,  Crophi  and  Mophi.  "  Mid- 
way between  them,"  said  he,  "  are  the  fountains  of  the  Nile, 
fountains  which  it  is  impossible  to  fathom ;  half  the  water  runs 
northward  into  Egypt,  half  to  the  south  towards  Ethiopia." 

1  Four  fountains  rising  so  near  to  each  other  would  readily 
be  supposed  to  have  one  source,  and  half  the  water  flowing 
into  the  Nile,  and  the  other  half  into  the  Zambesi,  required 
but  little  imagination  to  originate,  seeing  the  actual  visitor 
would  not  feel  bound  to  say  how  the  division  was  effected. 
He  could  only  know  the  fact  of  waters  rising  at  one  spot, 
and  separating  to  flow  north  and  south.  The  conical  tops 
to  the  mound  look  like  invention,  as  also  do  the  names. 

*  A  slave,  bought  on  Lualaba  East,  came  from  Lualaba 
West  in  about  twelve  days.  These  two  Lualabas  may  form 
the  loop  depicted  by  Ptolemy,  and  Upper  and  Lower  Tan- 
ganyika be  a  third  arm  of  the  Nile.' 

His  ulcerated  feet  now  became  worse  and  worse.  He  could 
not  plant  them  on  the  ground  without  causing  a  discharge  of 
bloody  matter.  In  January  187 1  he  was  still  detained  at 
Bambarre.  He  termed  the  Manyuema  people  the  most 
callous,  bloody  savages  he  ever  knew.  One  puts  a  scarlet 
feather  from  a  parrot's  tail  on  the  ground,  and  challenges 
those  near  to  stick  it  in  the  hair.  He  who  does  so  must  kill 
a  man  or  woman.     No  one  was  allowed  to  wear  the  skin  of 


22  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

the  musk  cat  unless  he  had  murdered  somebody.  Guns  alone, 
he  said,  prevented  them  from  killing  them  all.  His  men, 
who  had  been  despatched  to  the  coast,  arrived  on  the  4th 
February,  demanding  more  money  from  him,  and  declaring 
they  had  orders  from  the  Consul  to  force  him  back.  He 
reached  the  Lualaba  on  the  31st  March.  The  part  of  the 
river  he  had  reached  was  3000  yards  across.  Although  under 
the  impression  that  it  was  one  of  the  feeders  of  the  Nile,  he 
suspected  it  might  be  the  Congo — a  conclusion  established  by 
Stanley's  more  recent  discovery  that  it  is  identical  with  the 
river  Zaire  or  Congo.  His  ink  having  failed  him  here,  he  was 
driven  to  the  expedient  of  writing  with  the  juice  of  a  plant 
across  old  newspapers.  His  life  was  also  endangered  here 
by  a  plot  amongst  his  men,  who  intended  to  destroy  him. 
They  did  all  in  their  power  to  prevent  him  crossing  the 
Lualaba.  He  determined  to  return  to  Ujiji  for  other  men. 
He  reached  Ujiji  on  the  23d  October,  and  Mr.  H.  M.  Stanley, 
leader  of  Mr.  Bennett's  Livingstone  Search  Expedition, 
arrived  on  the  28th. 

'  The  great  traveller,'  says  Mr.  Stanley,  *  was  reduced  to  a 
skeleton  by  illness  and  fatigue;  he  was  sick,  destitute,  and 
forlorn.  All  his  men  except  four  had  either  deserted  or 
had  died,  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  hope  for  him.  His 
piteous  appeals  for  help  to  his  friends  at  Zanzibar  were  either 
neglected  or  his  letters  were  lost.  There  was  no  prospect 
but  that  of  lingering  illness  and  death  before  him.  Under 
the  influence,  however,  of  good  cheer  and  nourishing  food, 
and,  perhaps,  social  fellowship  with  another  of  his  race,  he 
speedily  recovered,  and  in  six  or  seven  days  after  his  rescue 
was  enabled  to  accompany  a  portion  of  the  American  expedi- 
tion in  a  boat  to  the  north  end  of  Lake  Tanganyika,  where 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  23 


both  Livingstone  and  the  author  saw  a  river  running  through 
a  broad  gorge  enclosed  by  lofty  mountains  into  the  lake,  with 
no  possible  outlet  whatever  at  any  part  in  the  firmly-connected 
mountain  walls  which  surround  the  entire  northern  hal.  of  the 
Tanganyika.  After  a  journey  of  750  miles,  and  a  residence 
of  over  four  months  together,  Livingstone  and  the  American 
expedition  became  parted  for  ever  at  Unyanyemb£,  on  14th 
March  1872.' 

Before  parting  with  Stanley,  the  following  interesting  con- 
versation took  place : — 

1  Doctor,'  said  Stanley,  *  so  far  as  I  can  understand  it,  you 
do  not  intend  to  return  home  until  you  have  satisfied  yourself 
about  the  "Sources  of  the  Nile."  When  you  have  satisfied 
yourself,  you  will  come  home  and  satisfy  others.     Is  it  not  so?' 

*  That  is  it  exactly.  When  your  men  come  back '  (the  men 
whom  Stanley  was  to  hire  at  Zanzibar),  *  I  shall  immediately 
start  for  Ufipa '  (on  the  south-eastern  shores  of  Lake  Tangan- 
yika) ;  *  then  ...  I  shall  strike  south,  and  round  the  extremity 
of  Lake  Tanganyika.  Then  a  south-east  course  will  take  me  to 
Chikumbis,  on  the  Lualaba.  On  crossing  the  Lualaba,  I  shall 
go  direct  south-west  to  the  copper  mines  of  Katanga.  Eight 
days  south  of  Katanga  the  natives  declare  the  fountains  to  be. 
When  I  have  found  them,  I  shall  return  by  Katanga  to  the 
underground  houses  of  Rua.  From  the  caverns,  ten  days 
north-east  will  take  me  to  Lake  Komolendo.  I  shall  be  able 
to  travel  from  the  lake  in  your  boat,  up  the  river  Lufira,  to 
Lake  Lincoln.  Then,  coming  down  again,  I  can  proceed 
north  by  the  Lualaba  to  the  fourth  lake,  which  will,  I  think, 
explain  the  whole  problem.' 

*  And  how  long  do  you  think  this  little  journey  will  take 
you  ?  ' 


24  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS, 

'  A  year  and  a  half  at  the  farthest  from  the  day  I  leave 
UnyanyembeV 

*  Suppose  you  say  two  years  j  contingencies  might  arise,  you 
know.  It  will  be  well  for  me  to  hire  these  new  men  for  two 
years,  the  day  of  their  engagement  to  begin  from  their  arrival 
at  UnyanyembeV 

*  Yes,  that  will  do  excellently  well., 

*  Now,  my  dear  Doctor,  the  best  of  friends  must  part.  You 
have  come  far  enough  j  let  me  beg  of  you  to  turn  back.' 

*  Well,  I  will  say  this  to  you,  you  have  done  what  few  men 
could  do — far  better  than  some  great  travellers  I  know ;  and 

I  am  grateful  to  you  for  what  you  have  done  for  me.  God 
guide  you  safe  home,  and  bless  you,  my  friend.' 

*  And  may  God  bring  you  safe  back  to  us  all,  my  dear 
friend.     Farewell.' 

Livingstone  gave  a  painful  enough  disclosure  of  his  feelings 
and  circumstances  previous  to  Mr.  Stanley's  arrival,  in  a  note 
of  thanks  to  Mr.  James  Gordon  Bennett  of  the  New  York 
Herald: — 

*  If  I  explain  the  forlorn  condition  in  which  he  found  me, 
you  will  easily  perceive  that  I  have  good  reason  to  use  very 
strong  expressions  of  gratitude.  I  came  to  Ujiji  off  a  tramp 
of  between  four  and  five  hundred  miles  beneath  a  blazing 
vertical  sun,  having  been  baffled,  worried,  defeated,  and  forced 
to  return,  when  almost  in  sight  of  the  end  of  the  geographical 
part  of  my  mission,  by  a  number  of  half-caste  Moslem  slaves 
sent  to  me  from  Zanzibar  instead  of  men.  The  sore  heart, 
made   still   sorer   by  the   truly  woful   sights    I   had   seen   of 

II  man's  inhumanity  to  man,"  reacted  on  the  bodily  frame,  and 
depressed  it  beyond  measure.  I  thought  that  I  was  dying  on 
my  feet.     It  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  almost  every  step  of 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  25 

the  weary  sultry  way  I  was  in  pain,  and  I  reached  Ujiji  a 
mere  ruckle  of  bones.  Here  I  found  that  some  ^£500  worth 
of  goods  I  had  ordered  from  Zanzibar  had  unaccountably  been 
entrusted  to  a  drunken  half-caste  Moslem  tailor,  who,  after 
squandering  them  for  sixteen  months  on  the  way  to  Ujiji, 
finished  up  by  selling  off  all  that  remained  for  slaves  and  ivory 
for  himself.  He  had  divined  on  the  Koran,  and  found  that  I 
was  dead.  He  had  also  written  to  the  governor  of  Unyan- 
yembe  that  he  had  sent  slaves  after  me  to  Manyuema,  who 
returned  and  reported  my  decease,  and  begged  permission  to 
sell  off  the  few  goods  that  his  drunken  appetite  had  spared. 
He,  however,  knew  perfectly  well,  from  men  who  had  seen 
me,  that  I  was  alive,  and  waiting  for  the  goods  and  men ;  but 
as  for  morality,  he  is  evidently  an  idiot  \  and  there  being  no 
law  here  except  that  of  the  dagger  or  musket,  I  had  to  sit 
down  in  great  weakness,  destitute  of  everything  save  a  few 
barter-cloths  and  beads  I  had  taken  the  precaution  to  leave 
here  in  case  of  extreme  need.  The  near  prospect  of  beggary 
among  Ujijians  made  me  miserable.  I  could  not  despair, 
because  I  laughed  so  much  at  a  friend  who,  on  reaching  the 
mouth  of  the  Zambesi,  said  "  that  he  was  tempted  to  despair 
on  breaking  the  photograph  of  his  wife;  we  could  have  no 
success  after  that."  After  that,  the  idea  of  despair  has  to  me 
such  a  strong  smack  of  the  ludicrous,  it  is  out  of  the  question. 
*  Well,  when  I  had  got  to  about  the  lowest  verge,  vague 
rumours  of  an  English  visitor  reached  me.  I  thought  of 
myself  as  the  man  who  went  down  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho; 
but  neither  priest,  Levite,  nor  Samaritan  could  possibly  pass 
my  way.  Yet  the  good  Samaritan  was  close  at  hand ;  and  one 
of  my  people  rushed  up  at  the  top  of  his  speed,  and  in  great 
excitement   gasped   out,    "An   Englishman   coming!      I   see 


26  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

him  ! "  And  off  he  darted  to  meet  him.  An  American  fla^ — . 
the  first  ever  seen  in  these  parts — at  the  head  of  a  caravan, 
told  me  the  nationality  of  the  stranger.  I  am  as  cold  and 
non-demonstrative  as  we  islanders  are  usually  reputed  to  be, 
but  your  kindness  made  my  frame  thrill.  It  was  indeed  over- 
whelming ;  and  I  said  in  my  soul,  "  Let  the  richest  blessings 
descend  from  the  Highest  on  you  and  yours." 

*  The  news  Mr.  Stanley  had  to  tell  me  was  thrilling :  the 
mighty  political  changes  on  the  Continent,  the  success  of  the 
Atlantic  cables,  the  election  of  General  Grant,  and  many 
topics  riveted  my  attention  for  days  together,  and  had  an 
immediate  and  beneficial  effect  on  my  health.  I  had  been 
without  news  from  home  for  years,  save  what  I  could  glean 
from  a  few  Saturday  Reviews  and  copies  of  Punch  for  1868. 
The  appetite  revived,  and  in  a  week  I  began  to  feel  strong 
again.  Mr.  Stanley  brought  a  most  kind  and  encouraging 
despatch  from  Lord  Clarendon,  whose  loss  I  sincerely  deplore, 
— the  first  I  have  received  from  the  Foreign  Office  since 
1866, — and  information  that  Her  Majesty's  Government  had 
kindly  sent  ^1000  to  my  aid.  Up  to  his  arrival  I  was  not 
aware  of  any  pecuniary  aid.  I  came  unsalaried,  but  this  want 
is  now  happily  repaired ;  and  I  am  anxious  that  you  and  all 
my  friends  should  know  that,  though  uncheered  by  letters,  I 
have  stuck  to  the  task  which  my  friend  Sir  Roderick  Murchi- 
son  set  me  with  John-Bullish  tenacity,  believing  that  all  will 
come  right  at  last.' 

Before  the  end  came,  he  had  resolved  to  satisfy  himself 
that  the  Nile  really  rose  where  he  supposed.  Stanley  had 
urged  him  to  press  on  no  farther  \  but  Livingstone  wrote : — 
*  My  judgment  said,  "  All  your  friends  will  wish  you  to  make 
a  complete  work  of  the  exploration  of  the  sources  of  the  Nile 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  27 

before  you  retire."  My  daughter  Agnes  says:  "Much  as  I 
wish  you  to  come  home,  I  would  rather  that  you  finished  your 
work  to  your  own  satisfaction  than  return  merely  to  gratify 
me."  Rightly  and  nobly  said,  my  darling  Nannie.  Vanity 
whispers  loudly,  "  She  is  a  chip  of  the  old  block ! "  My 
blessing  on  her  and  on  all  the  rest.' 

So  he  went  on,  reaching  Unyanyemb£,  where  he  remained 
waiting  for  some  promised  help.  The  following  entry  occurs 
in  his  journal  (1872) : — 

*  igt/i  March. — Birthday.      My  Jesus,  my  King,  my  Life, 

my  All ;  I  again  dedicate  my  whole  self  to  Thee.     Accept  me, 

and  grant,  O  gracious  Father,  that  ere  this  year  is  gone  I 

may  finish  my  task.     In   Jesus'  name  I  ask  it.     Amen,   so 

let  it  be. 

1  David  Livingstone.' 

An  entry  on  May  31,  1872,  is  as  follows : — 'In  reference  to 
this  Nile  source,  1  have  been  kept  in  perpetual  doubt  and 
perplexity.  I  know  too  much  to  be  positive.  Great  Lualaba, 
or  Lualubba,  as  Manyuema  say,  may  turn  out  to  be  the  Congo 
or  the  Nile,  a  shorter  river  after  all — the  fountains  flowing 
north  and  south  seem  in  favour  of  its  being  the  Nile.  Great 
westing  is  in  iavour  of  the  Congo.  It  would  be  comfortable 
to  be  positive  like  Baker.  "  Every  drop,  from  the  passing 
shower  to  the  roaring  mountain-torrent,  must  fall  into  Albert 
Lake,  a  giant  at  its  birth."     How  soothing  to  be  positive  ! ' 

These  doubts  about  the  Nile  sources  grew  stronger,  but  they 
never  overcame  his  confidence.  He  died  in  the  faith  that  the 
Nile  rose  between  io°  and  120  south  latitude. 

Livingstone's  death  took  place  on  the  1st  of  May  1873,  at 
Ilala,  in  Central  Africa.     For  some  time  previous  he  had  been 


28  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

very  weak.  Forcing  his  feeble  strength,  however,  he  pushed 
on,  riding  on  a  donkey.  Then  he  had  to  be  carried  on  a 
kitanda  or  bedstead ;  but  soon  after  reaching  Ilala,  he  gave  up 
travelling,  and  his  servants  erected  a  hut,  in  which  he  lay  for  a 
few  days,  gradually  growing  weaker;  and  at  last,  on  the  day 
mentioned,  he  expired. 

In  his  Last  Journals^  the  now  familiar  death-scene  is  thus 
recorded  : — *  The  lad's  evident  alarm  made  Susi  run  to  arouse 
Chuma,  Chowpere,  Matthew,  and  Muanyasere ;  and  the  six 
men  went  immediately  to  the  hut.  Passing  inside,  they 
looked  towards  the  bed.  Dr.  Livingstone  was  not  lying  on 
it,  but  appeared  to  be  engaged  in  prayer,  and  they  instinctively 
drew  backwards  for  an  instant.  Pointing  to  him,  Majwara 
said,  "  When  I  lay  down  he  was  just  as  he  is  now,  and  it  is 
because  I  find  that  he  does  not  move  that  I  fear  he  is  dead* 
They  asked  the  lad  how  long  he  had  slept.  Majwara  said  he 
could  not  tell,  but  he  was  sure  that  it  was  some  considerable 
time.  The  men  drew  nearer.  A  candle,  stuck  by  its  own  wax 
to  the  top  of  the  box,  shed  a  light  sufficient  for  them  to  see  his 
form.  Dr.  Livingstone  was  kneeling  by  the  side  of  his  bed, 
his  body  stretched  forward,  his  head  buried  in  his  hands  upon 
the  pillow.  For  a  minute  they  watched  him.  He  did  not 
stir.  There  was  no  sound  of  breathing.  Then  one  of  them 
(Matthew)  advanced  softly  to  him,  and  placed  his  hands  to 
his  cheeks.  It  was  sufficient — life  had  been  extinct  some 
time,  and  the  body  was  almost  cold.  Livingstone  was  dead. 
His  sad-hearted  servants  raised  him  tenderly  up  and  laid  him 
full  length  on  the  bed,  then,  carefully  covering  him,  they  went 
out  into  the  damp  night  air  to  consult  together.  It  was  not 
long  before  the  cocks  crew  ;  and  it  is  from  this  circumstance, 
coupled  with  the  fact  that  Susi  spoke  to  him  some  time  shortly 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  29 

before  midnight,  that  we  are  able  to  state  with  tolerable 
certainty  that  he  expired  early  on  the  1st  of  May.' 

The  fourth  Livingstone  Search  Relief  Expedition  arrived 
at  -Zanzibar  in  February  1873,  commanded  by  Lieutenant 
Cameron,  Murphy,  and  Dr.  Dillon.  It  was  sent  to  Africa 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Geographical  Society.  At  the  end 
of  August  1873,  the  expedition  arrived  at  Unyanyembe;  in 
the  following  month  Chuma,  one  of  Livingstone's  servants, 
appeared  in  their  midst,  informing  them  that  Livingstone's 
body  was  but  twenty  days  behind,  and  was  being  brought  up 
by  his  followers.  Soon  afterwards  they  appeared  with  their 
burden,  and  continued  their  march  to  Zanzibar,  which  they 
reached  in  February  1874.  The  remains  of  Livingstone  were 
conveyed  by  ship  to  Southampton,  thence  to  London.  After 
a  formal  examination  by  Sir  William  Fergusson,  the  left  arm 
bone,  which  had  been  splintered  by  a  lion's  jaw  over  thirty 
years  before,  offered  convincing  evidence  that  Livingstone  was 
really  dead.  The  body  of  Livingstone  was  borne,  on  Saturday, 
1 8th  April  1874,  amidst  tokens  of  profound  and  universal 
respect,  to  its  last  resting-place  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

A  memorial  tablet,  with  the  following  inscription,  now 
marks  the  spot  in  Westminster  Abbey  where  the  remains  of 
Dr.  Livingstone  are  deposited : — i  Brought  by  faithful  hands 
over  land  and  sea,  here  rests  David  Livingstone,  missionary, 
traveller,  philanthropist.  Born  March  19,  1813;  died  May  1, 
1873,  at  Chitambo's  village,  Ulala.  For  thirty  years  his  life 
was  spent  in  an  unwearied  effort  to  evangelize  the  native 
races,  to  explore  the  undiscovered  secrets,  to  abolish  the 
desolating  slave  trade  of  Central  Africa,  and  where,  with  his 
last  words,  he  wrote  :  "  All  I  can  add  in  my  solitude  is,  may 
Hcayen's  rich  blessing  come  down  on  every  one — American, 


3o  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

English,  or  Turk — who  will  help  to  heal  this  open  sore  of  the 
world." '  On  each  side  of  the  tablet  are  also  the  following 
inscriptions :  — '  Tantus  amor  veri,  nihil  est  quod  noscere 
malim,  quam  fluvii  causas  per  saecula  tanta  latentes ; '  and : 
'  Other  sheep  I  have  which  are  not  of  this  fold :  them  also  I 
must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice.' 

A  Livingstone  memorial  statue  has  been  erected  in  the  East 
Princes  Street  Gardens,  Edinburgh.  The  statue  represents 
Livingstone  in  thorough  travelling  costume ;  in  his  right  hand 
a  Bible,  and  a  revolver  in  his  belt.  The  statue  stands  about 
eight  feet  high,  and  is  from  the  design  of  Mrs.  D.  O.  Hill. 
As  a  further  honour,  Stanley  has  suggested  that  the  great 
Lualaba-Congo  river  be  henceforth  known  as  the  '  Living- 
stone.' 

Amongst  the  tributes  to  his  memory,  few  are  more  correct 
and  appropriate  than  that  by  Sir  Samuel  W.  Baker : — '  The 
life  of  Dr.  Livingstone  is  well  known ;  but  although  his 
character  as  an  explorer  has  been  established  for  many  years, 
there  are  few  persons  beyond  scientific  geographers  who  truly 
appreciate  his  enormous  labours.  When  we  examine  the  maps 
of  all  his  published  works,  we  must  be  struck  with  amaze- 
ment that  any  one  man  should  have  been  able  to  support  the 
bodily  fatigue  of  travelling  over  the  many  thousand  miles  in 
Africa  marked  by  that  thin  and  wandering  line  of  red  which 
denotes  his  track.  The  world  knows  but  little  of  such  fatigues 
— the  toil  of  body  in  unhealthy  climates,  the  lack  of  food, 
constant  exposure  to  both  sun  and  rain,  perpetual  anxiety, 
delays,  and  passive  hostility  that  wear  out  the  brain  with  over- 
taxed patience;  hopes  deferred,  followed  by  that  sickness  of 
heart  which  is  a  greater  strain  upon  the  nervous  system  than 
the  heaviest  physical  work.     These  are  the  trials  that  Living- 


DR.  LIVINGSTONE.  31 


stone  sustained  throughout  his  life  of  exploration ;  and  still  he 
endured  until  he  dropped  upon  his  road,  worn  out  in  his  great 
work  5  and  in  solitude  he  died  upon  his  knees  by  his  bedside, 
far  from  the  world,  but  in  communion  at  the  last  with  Him 
who  had  been  his  guide  and  protector  through  a  life  of  diffi- 
culties and  perils. 

*  His  geographical  opinions  may  or  may  not  be  accepted  on 
all  points,  but  there  can  only  be  one  opinion  concerning  the 
man :  he  was  the  greatest  of  all  explorers  of  this  century ;  he 
was  one  of  a  noble  army  of  martyrs  who  have  devoted  their 
lives  to  the  holy  cause  of  freedom ;  and  he  has  laid  down  his 
life  as  a  sacrifice  upon  a  wild  and  unknown  path,  upon  which 
he  has  printed  the  first  footsteps  of  civilisation. ■ 

Recent  African  Exploration. 

The  first  *  Livingstone  Search  Expedition '  was  despatched 
by  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  under  Lieutenant  Dawson, 
with  the  view  of  carrying  food  and  supplies  to  Dr.  Livingstone. 
They  had  only  reached  Bagamoyo,  on  the  African  coast,  when 
a  message  was  received  from  Mr.  Stanley  to  the  effect  that 
he  had  discovered  Livingstone,  and  that  the  great  traveller 
objected  to  any  *  slave '  expedition  being  sent  to  him.  Lieu- 
tenant Dawson  therewith  resigned  the  command  of  the 
expedition,  which  in  turn  was  taken  up  by  Mr.  New,  who 
died  shortly  afterwards;  then  by  Lieutenant  Henn,  R.N. ; 
and  lastly  by  Mr.  Oswell  Livingstone,  a  son  of  Dr.  Living- 
stone. The  latter  also  gave  up  the  idea  of  reaching  his  father, 
and  the  expedition  was  abandoned.  When  the  Geographical 
1  Society  resolved  on  utilizing  the  remainder  of  their  funds  in 
another   expedition,   Lieutenant   Cameron   was   chosen   com- 


32  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

mander.  He  drew  up  his  scheme  of  exploration  by  way  of 
Victoria  Nyanza,  Mounts  Kenia  and  Kilimanjaro,  and  the 
Albert  Nyanza,  and  thence  through  Ulegga  and  Nyangwe 
down  the  Congo  to  the  west  coast.  When  he  had  reached 
Unyamyembe,  two-thirds  on  the  way  to  Tanganyika,  on  the 
20th  October  1873,  while  lying  in  bed  blind  and  almost  life- 
less, the  news  was  brought  to  him  of  Livingstone's  death.  On 
1 8th  February  1874,  his  eye  rested  on  the  blue  expanse  of 
Lake  Tanganyika,  which  had  been  discovered  by  Captain 
Burton  fifteen  years  previously.  After  three  years  of  unheard- 
of  difficulties,  in  November  1875  he  emerged  at  Benguela,  on 
the  west  coast,  to  which  he  had  made  his  way  2000  miles  as 
the  crow  flies,  from  Bagamoyo  on  the  east  coast.  Some  of  the 
results  of  his  journey  are  his  exploration  of  the  southern  water- 
parting  of  the  Congo,  and  the  fixing  of  the  latitude  and 
longitude  of  all  the  places  at  which  he  halted. 

An  expedition  sent  by  the  Portuguese  Government  has  been 
very  successful.  One  division,  led  by  Major  Pinto,  has  crossed 
Africa  in  a  south-easterly  direction  from  Benguela  to  Natal, 
and  made  a  complete  exploration  of  the  Upper  Zambesi,  and 
discovered  a  navigable  river  called  the  Cuando. 

Missionary  effort  is  following  up  the  work  done  by  explorers ; 
the  English  Universities  Mission  is  at  the  northern  extremity 
of  Lake  Nyassa  ;  Livingstonia  is  the  seat  of  the  Scottish  Free 
Church  Mission  \  the  Established  Church  of  Scotland  is  at 
Blantyre  (after  the  birthplace  of  Livingstone) ;  the  London 
Missionary  Society  at  Ujiji,  Lake  Tanganyika  \  and  the  Church 
Missionary  Society  at  Lake  Victoria  Nyanza.  The  Church 
Mission  has  also  sent  representatives  to  King  Mtesa  in 
Uganda.  The  Baptist  Mission  is  making  a  settlement  on  the 
Congo. 


SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER,  M.A.,  F.R.G.S. 


Part  I. 


The  Albert  Nyanza — Great  Basin  of  the  Nile — Explorations  of  the  Mle 

Sources. 


HE  great  African  traveller,  Sir  Samuel  Baker,  K.C.B., 
F.R.S.,  the  son  of  Samuel  Baker,  Thorngrove, 
Worcestershire,  was  born  in  1821.  Having  been 
educated  as  an  engineer,  he  showed  a  desire  for  travel  at  an 
early  age,  and  went  to  Ceylon,  where  he  was  partly  occupied, 
along  with  his  brother  Col.  Baker,  in  organizing  an  agricultural 
settlement.  Fond  also  of  sport  and  adventure,  he  published 
The  Rifle  and  Hound  in  Ceylon,  1854,  and  Eight  Years* 
Wanderings  in  Ceylon,  1855.  He  married  a  young  Hungarian 
lady  in  i860,  who  has  since  been  the  companion  of  many 
of  his  wanderings.  In  March  1861  he  formed  the  resolution 
to  organize  an  expedition  for  the  discovery  of  the  sources 
of  the  Nile,  and  with  the  hope  of  meeting  the  East  African 
expedition  of  Captains  Speke  and  Grant,  which  had  been 
sent  from  the  south  by  the  English  Government,  by  way  of 
Zanzibar,  for  the  same  object.  From  youth  upwards  he 
had  been  inured  to  hardships  and  endurance  in  wild  sports 
in  tropical   climates;   he   besides   possessed   a   tough  consti- 


34  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

tution,   perfect  independence,  and  the  time  and  means  for 
the  accomplishment  of  the  object. 

She,  'the  dear,  near,  and  true,'  with  whom  his  life  was 
linked,  his  devoted  wife,  had  "determined  also  to  accompany 
him.  'One  who,  although  my  greatest  comfort,'  he  writes, 
4  was  also  my  greatest  care ;  one  whose  life  yet  dawned  at  so 
early  an  age  that  womanhood  was  still  a  future.  I  shuddered 
at  the  prospect  for  her,  should  she  be  left  alone  in  savage 
lands  at  my  death  \  and  gladly  would  I  have  left  her  in  the 
luxuries  of  home  instead  of  exposing  her  to  the  miseries  of 
Africa.  It  was  in  vain  that  I  implored  her  to  remain,  and 
that  I  painted  the  difficulties  and  perils  still  blacker  than 
I  supposed  they  really  would  be  :  she  was  resolved,  with 
woman's  constancy  and  devotion,  to  share  all  dangers,  and 
to  follow  me  through  each  rough  footstep  of  the  wild  life 
before  me.'  So  together  they  sailed  up  the  Nile  from  Cairo, 
on  the  15th  April  1861.  Within  twenty-six  days  from  Cairo 
they  arrived  at  Korosko,  from  whence,  starting  across  the 
Nubian  desert,  they  reached  the  river  again  at  Abou  Hamed. 
Berber  was  the  next  town  which  they  reached.  Resolving 
to  become  independent  of  interpreters  as  quickly  as  possible, 
the  plan  of  exploration  for  the  first  year  was  arranged  to 
embrace  the  affluents  to  the  Nile  from  the  Abyssinian  range 
of  mountains ;  also  to  follow  up  the  Atbara  river  from  its 
junction  with  the  Nile,  twenty  miles  south  of  Berber ;  to 
examine  also  all  the  Nile  tributaries  from  the  south-east  as 
far  as  the  Blue  Nile.  Having  explored  all  the  Abyssinian 
affluents  of  the  Nile,  Baker  descended  the  Blue  Nile  to 
Khartoum. 

The  waters  of  the  Blue  Nile,  or  Bahr  el  Azrek,  are  described 
as  delicious ;  those  of  the  White  Nile  are  said  to  be  seldom 


SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER.  35 

clear,  and  to  have  a  disagreeable  taste  of  vegetation.  The 
Blue  Nile,  being  a  mountain  stream,  rises  and  falls  with  great 
rapidity;  the  other  is  of  lake  origin,  and  flows  through  vast 
marshes.  The  Atbara  is  perfectly  dry  during  some  months 
of  the  year;  but  from  June  to  the  middle  of  September 
the  storms  are  terrific,  and  every  ravine  becomes  a  raging 
torrent.  The  river  bed  is  perfectly  dry  from  the  beginning 
of  March  to  June,  with  pools  at  intervals  of  every  few  miles, 
in  which  congregate  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  river  —  the 
crocodiles,  hippopotami,  fish,  and  large  turtle — until  the  floods 
again  set  them  at  liberty.  The  rainy  season  begins  in 
Abyssinia  in  the  middle  of  May,  but,  owing  to  the  parched 
nature  of  the  soil,  the  torrents  do  not  begin  to  fill  until  the 
middle  of  June.  The  Blue  Nile  and  the  Atbara  receive  the 
entire  drainage  of  Abyssinia,  and  pour  their  entire  floods  into 
the  main  Nile  in  the  middle  of  June ;  and  it  is  the  sudden 
rush  of  water  descending  from  Abyssinia  which  causes  the 
inundation  of  the  Nile  in  Lower  Egypt. 

Baker  found  the  town  of  Khartoum,  which  is  situated 
on  a  point  of  land  forming  the  angle  between  the  White 
and  Blue  Niles  at  their  junction,  to  be  a  miserable, 
filthy,  and  unhealthy  spot.  All  around  there  is  the  sandy 
desert.  The  town,  consisting  of  about  30,000  inhabitants, 
is  chiefly  composed  of  huts  of  unburnt  brick,  is  densely 
crowded,  and  there  are  neither  drains  nor  cesspools.  The 
natives  consist  of  Greeks,  Syrians,  Copts,  Armenians,  Turks, 
Arabs,  and  Egyptians.  There  are  consuls  for  France,  Austria, 
and  America  resident  in  the  town.  It  is  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment for  the  Soudan  provinces ;  about  six  thousand  troops 
were  quartered  in  the  town  in  1861.  The  Egyptian  soldier, 
being  badly  paid,  and  under  loose  discipline,  carries  out  a 


3 6  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

system  of  forage  and  plunder.  The  Governor-General  of  the 
Soudan  in  1862  was  Moosa  Pasha,  a  Turkish  official  who 
shared  all  the  failings  of  his  race.  *  Misgovernment,  monopoly, 
extortion,  and  oppression  are  the  certain  accompaniments  of 
Turkish  administration.  At  a  great  distance  from  all  civilisa- 
tion, and  separated  from  Lower  Egypt  by  the  Nubian  deserts, 
Khartoum  affords  a  wide  field  for  the  development  of  Egyptian 
official  character.  Every  official  plunders  ;  the  Governor- 
General  extorts  from  all  sides ;  he  fills  his  private  pockets  by 
throwing  every  conceivable  obstacle  in  the  way  of  progress, 
and  embarrasses  every  commercial  movement  in  order  to 
extort  bribes  from  individuals.  From  the  highest  to  the 
lowest  official,  dishonesty  and  deceit  are  the  rule,  and  each 
robs  in  proportion  to  his  grade  in  the  Government  employ, 
the  onus  of  extortion  falling  upon  the  natives ;  thus  exorbitant 
taxes  are  levied  upon  the  agriculturists,  and  the  industry  of 
the  inhabitants  is  disheartened  by  oppression.  The  taxes  are 
collected  by  the  soldiery,  who  naturally  extort  by  violence 
an  excess  of  the  actual  impost;  accordingly,  the  Arabs  limit 
their  cultivation  to  their  bare  necessities.'  The  slave  trade 
was  then  the  curse  of  Soudan,  and  every  one  in  Khartoum, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  Europeans,  was  in  favour  of  the 
slave  trade,  the  White  Nile  being  the  great  nursery  of 
supply. 

The  Egyptian  authorities  at  Khartoum  showed  no  willing- 
ness to  assist  Baker  in  organizing  an  expedition  to  discover 
the  Nile  sources.  They  had  no  wish  to  encourage  English 
explorations  of  the  slave-producing  districts,  as  this  understood 
an  exposure  of  the  odious  traffic,  and  probable  interference 
by  the  English  Government.  An  application  to  the  British 
Consul  at  Alexandria  for  a  few  soldiers  and  boats  to  aid  him 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  37 

in  this  difficult  enterprise  was  refused.  At  last  preparations 
were  made  for  sailing;  the  vessels  necessary  for  the  voyage 
to  Gondokoro,  the  navigable  limit  of  the  Nile,  were  secured. 
An  extra  quantity  of  provisions  was  embarked,  in  the  hope 
of  meeting  Speke  and  Grant's  party.  In  the  boats  were 
conveyed  twenty-one  donkeys,  four  camels,  and  four  horses, 
for  use  afterwards  in  land  transport.  A  demand  for  a 
certain  tax  for  every  man  on  board  the  boats,  made  just  as 
they  were  ready  to  start,  was  refused.  The  voyage  up  the 
Nile  was  comparatively  uneventful.  A  German  servant, 
Johann,  who  accompanied  Baker,  and  who  was  engaged  at 
Khartoum  while  in  failing  health,  died  on  the  voyage  south- 
wards. *  Verily,  it  is  a  pleasant  voyage,'  writes  Baker,  rather 
sarcastically,  on  the  2d  January  1863  ;  *  disgusting  naked 
savages,  everlasting  marshes  teeming  with  mosquitoes,  and 
the  entire  country  devoid  of  anything  of  either  common 
interest  or  beauty.  Course  west  the  whole  day ;  saw  giraffes 
and  one  ostrich  on  the  east  bank.  On  the  west  bank  there 
is  a  regular  line  of  villages  throughout  the  day's  voyage, 
within  half  a  mile  of  each  other;  the  country  very  thickly 
populated.  The  huts  are  of  mud,  thatched,  having  a  very 
small  entrance ;  they  resemble  button  mushrooms.  The 
Shillooks  are  wealthy  ;  immense  herds  of  cattle  swarm 
throughout  their  country.'  At  another  time  he  writes :  *  The 
windings  of  this  monotonous  river  are  extraordinary,  and,  during 
dead  calms  in  these  vast  marshes,  the  feeling  of  melancholy 
produced  is  beyond  description. ' 

The  natives  of  Nuehr  village  struck  Baker  as  being  some- 
thing superlative  in  the  way  of  savages :  the  men  were  com- 
pletely naked ;  their  bodies  were  rubbed  with  ashes,  and  their 
hair  stained  red  by  a  plaster  01  ashes  and  cow's  urine.     The 


38  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

chief  of  the  village,  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  paid  them  a 
visit,  asking  for  all  that  they  saw  in  the  shape  of  bracelets, 
but  declining  a  knife  as  useless.     The  women  he  thought  very 
ugly.     The  men  were  tall  and  powerful,  armed  with  lances, 
and  carrying  pipes  which  would  contain  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
pound  of  tobacco.      They  are   accustomed  to  smoke   either 
tobacco  or   charcoal.      The  shooting  of  a  fat  young  hippo- 
potamus was  the  signal  for  a  cauldron  of  hippopotamus  soup. 
This   led  him   to  remark   that    'real   turtle   is   mock  hippo- 
potamus.'    Arriving  at  Zareeba,  the   station  of  an   Austrian 
White  Nile  trader,  the  latter  presented  them  with  a  bullock. 
Here  they  had  a  sight  of  the  chief  of  the  Kytch  tribe,  who 
wore  a  leopard  skin  across  his  shoulders,  and  a  skull-cap  of 
white  beads,   with   a   crest   of  white   ostrich   feathers.      His 
daughter   was   a   good  -  looking   girl   of  sixteen,   whose   only 
clothing  consisted  of  a  little  piece  of  dressed  hide,  about  a 
foot  wide,  slung  across  her  shoulders.     The  entire  tribe  had 
a  half-starved  appearance.     So  emaciated  were  they,  that  they 
looked  as  if  they  had  no  visible  posteriors,  and  their  long  thin 
legs  and  arms   gave   them   a   peculiar  gnat-like   appearance. 
They  devour  both  the  skins  and  bones  of  all  dead  animals ; 
the  bones  they  pound  between  stones,  and,  when  these  are 
reduced  to  powder,  they  are  boiled  to  a  kind  of  porridge. 

On  23d  January  they  arrived  at  the  Austrian  mission 
station  of  St.  Croix,  where  the  missionary,  Herr  Morlang, 
acknowledged  that  the  mission  was  absolutely  useless  among 
such  savages.  Accordingly  the  whole  village  and  mission 
station  was  sold  to  Koorshid  Aga  for  ^30  !  Baker  purchased 
a  horse  from  the  missionaries.  Herr  Morlang  described  the 
whole  of  the  White  Nile  traders  as  a  mere  colony  of  robbers, 
who   pillaged   and   shot  the  natives  at   discretion.     On  29th 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  39 

January  they  passed  a  multitude  of  cattle  and  natives  on  the 
right  bank.  These  natives  make  tumuli  of  dung,  which  being 
constantly  on  fire,  accumulates ;  fresh  fuel  is  added  to  keep  the 
pile  burning,  and  in  order  to  drive  away  the  mosquitoes. 
The  cattle  crowd  round  these  piles,  living  with  the  natives  in 
the  smoke.  The  heaps  of  ashes  become  about  eight  feet 
high,  when  they  are  used  as  sleeping  -  places  and  watch- 
stations  by  the  natives,  who,  rolling  themselves  amongst  the 
ashes,  have  a  very  ghastly  appearance. 

The  *  Shir '  tribe  they  found  well  armed  with  ebony  clubs, 
lances,  bows  and  arrows.  The  women  here  wear  leather 
aprons,  with  a  strip  of  leather  hanging  down  behind  resembling 
a  tail.  The  women  carry  their  children  in  a  skin  slung 
from  their  shoulders  across  the  back,  and  secured  by  a  thong 
round  the  waist.  Their  huts  or  dwelling-places  are  circular, 
the  entrances  being  so  low  that  the  natives  creep  both  in  and 
out  upon  their  hands  and  knees.  The  most  valuable  article 
of  barter  for  this  tribe  is  the  iron  hoe.  The  lotus  seed  is 
utilized  by  all  the  tribes  of  the  White  Nile,  the  seed  being 
ground  into  flour,  and  made  into  a  kind  of  porridge.  On 
2d  February  they  arrived  safely  at  Gondokoro. 

Gondokoro  consists  merely  of  a  few  miserable  grass  huts. 
Formerly  it  was  a  mission  station.  Then  it  was  occupied  for 
about  two  months  of  the  year  only  by  the  ivory  traders. 
The  climate  is  hot  and  unhealthy,  but  the  place  was  a  great 
improvement  upon  the  interminable  marshes  through  which 
they  had  been  passing.  The  dwellers  in  Gondokoro  are  the 
Bari  tribe.  The  men  are  described  as  well-grown ;  the  women 
are  not  prepossessing,  but  are  awanting  in  the  negro  type  of 
thick  lips  and  flat  nose.  The  features  are  good.  Their  skin 
is  tattooed  and  rubbed  with  a  mixture  of  ochre  and  grease, 


4o  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

which  gives  them  the  appearance  of  new  red  bricks.  The 
most  deadly  weapons  they  possess  are  their  poisoned  arrows. 
When  they  enter  the  system,  death  is  almost  certain  to 
follow. 

When  Baker  arrived,  he  was  looked  upon  by  the  slave- 
traders  as  a  spy  sent  by  the  British  Government.  In  approach- 
ing the  encampments  of  the  different  traders,  the  sounds  which 
were  heard  were  the  clanking  of  fetters,  as  the  slaves  were 
being  driven  to  their  hiding-places  as  secretly  as  possible. 
Baker's  presence  was  considered  as  an  unwarrantable  intrusion, 
and  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  stumbling-block  to  the  trade. 
The  traders'  people,  to  the  number  of  about  six  hundred, 
seemed  to  spend  their  time  in  drinking,  quarrelling,  and  ill- 
treating  the  slaves.  Guns  were  also  being  fired  off  in  the 
most  promiscuous  and  dangerous  fashion.  Baker's  men 
mutinied  while  staying  here,  and  to  go  farther  with  such 
faithless  servants  looked  as  if  the  expedition  would  be  a  failure. 
But  by  the  tact  of  Baker  and  his  wife,  order  and  regularity 
were  restored. 

On  the  15th  February,  the  sound  of  musketry  was  heard 
at  a  great  distance,  and  a  dropping  fire  from  the  south.  The 
report  was  that  ivory  porters  were  coming  from  the  next 
station,  and  that  two  white  men  were  with  them  who  had 
come  from  the  sea.  Baker  ran  to  meet  them,  in  the  hope  that 
they  might  be  Speke  and  Grant.  He  was  correct  in  his  sup- 
position. All  his  men  suddenly  became  mad  with  excitement, 
and  firing  salutes  with  ball  cartridge,  one  of  the  donkeys  was 
shot.  'When  I  first  met  them,'  writes  Baker,  'they  were 
walking  along  the  bank  of  the  river  towards  my  boats.  At 
a  distance  of  about  a  hundred  yards  I  recognised  my  old 
friend  Speke,  and  with  a  heart  beating  with  joy  I  took  off 


S/fi  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER,  41 

my  cap  and  gave  a  welcome  hurrah  as  I  ran  towards  him. 
For  the  moment  he  did  not  recognise  me ;  ten  years'  growth 
of  beard  and  moustache  had  worked  a  change ;  and  as  I  was 
totally  unexpected,  my  sudden  appearance  in  the  centre  of 
Africa  appeared  to  him  incredible.  I  hardly  required  an 
introduction  to  his  companion,  as  we  felt  already  acquainted  ; 
and  after  the  transports  of  this  happy  meeting,  we  walked 
together  to  my  diabbiah,  my  men  surrounding  us  with  smoke 
and  noise  by  keeping  up  an  unremitting  fire  of  musketry  the 
whole  way.  We  were  shortly  seated  on  deck  under  the  awning, 
and  such  rough  fare  as  could  be  hastily  prepared  was  set 
before  these  two  ragged,  careworn  specimens  of  African  travel, 
whom  I  looked  upon  with  feelings  of  pride  as  my  own 
countrymen.  As  a  good  ship  arrives  in  harbour,  battered  and 
torn  by  a  long  and  stormy  voyage,  yet  sound  in  her  frame 
and  seaworthy  to  the  last,  so  both  these  gallant  travellers 
arrived  in  Gondokoro.  Speke  appeared  the  more  worn  of 
the  two ;  he  was  excessively  lean,  but  in  reality  he  was  in 
good  tough  condition ;  he  had  walked  the  whole  way  from 
Zanzibar,  never  having  once  ridden  during  the  wearying 
march.  Grant  was  in  honourable  rags,  his  bare  knees  pro- 
jecting through  the  remnants  of  trousers  that  were  an  exhibition 
of  rough  industry  in  tailor's  work.  He  was  looking  tired  and 
feverish,  but  both  men  had  a  fire  in  the  eye  that  showed  the 
spirit  that  had  led  them  through.' 

Baker  thought  at  first  that  the  mystery  of  the  Nile  sources 
was  completely  unravelled,  and  even  said  to  Speke,  *  Does  not 
one  leaf  of  the  laurel  remain  for  me?'  It  was  then  made 
evident  that  although  Speke  and  Grant  had  discovered  the 
Victoria  Nyanza,  there  was  another  lake  called  the  Luta 
Nzige,   which   must  be   a   second   source   of  the   Nile.      It 


42  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


entered  this  unknown  lake  at  its  northern  extremity,  while 
the  body  of  the  lake  came  from  the  south.  Speke  wrote  in 
Baker's  journal  such  instructions  as  he  thought  might  be  useful 
to  him,  and  Grant  furnished  him  with  a  map  of  their  route 
and  explorations.  They  parted  on  26th  February,  when 
Speke  and  Grant  sailed  from  Gondokoro. 

Baker  had  arranged  with  Mahommed,  an  ivory  trader,  that 
he  and  his   men   should   accompany  them  in  their  journey 
southwards.     To  this  he  apparently  assented,  but  it  was  after- 
wards found  that  when  they  were  most  friendly,  they  were 
plotting  against  him,  and  had  determined  to  ruin  the  expedi- 
tion.     Baker,  receiving  some    hints  of  their  intention,  took 
decided  steps  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  mutiny  \  he  found, 
however,  that  a  boy  named  Saat,  and  Richarn,  an  habitual 
drunkard,  were  the  only  two  amongst  his  company  who   re- 
mained faithful   to   him.      Rendered   utterly   helpless,  Baker 
decided   to   leave   all   his    baggage   in   charge   of  a  friendly 
chief  of  the  Baris  at  Gondokoro,  take  two  fast  dromedaries 
for  his  servant  Richarn  and  Saat,  two  horses  for  Mrs.  Baker 
and  himself,  and  so  make  a  push  through  the  hostile  tribes 
until  he  came  amongst  those  who  were  friendly,  and  after- 
wards to  trust  to  fortune.    But  his  friendly  servant,  arguing  with 
him,  showed  the  danger  and  impossibility  of  this  method  of 
travel.     Seventeen  of  his  old  servants  were  therefore  coerced 
to  join  the  expedition,  although  an  intention  to  desert  on  their 
part,  once  the  journey  was  begun,  was  well  known  to  their 
leader.     They  took   their  departure  from  Gondokoro  on  the 
26th  of  March  1863.     Richarn  and  Saat  were  in  high  spirits 
when  the  start  was  made ;  Mrs.  Baker  was  mounted  on  an  old 
Abyssinian  hunter  '  Tetel,'  Baker  rode  *  Film1/  and  the  camels 
and  donkeys  were  all  heavily  loaded.     They  had  neither  guide 


S/R  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  43 

nor  interpreter,  the  natives  being  too  much  under  the  influence 
of  the  traders  to  volunteer  their  services. 

The  first  halt  was  made  at  Belignan,  where  they  overtook 

the  traders'  party  which  had  been  so  unfriendly  to  them  at 

Gondokoro.    Two  men,  deserting  from  their  company,  promised 

to  act   as  guides  and  interpreters  for  ninety  miles   forward. 

Pushing  on  through  ravine  and  jungle,  it  was  plain  that  the 

camels   were   overloaded ;    the   donkeys    proved  themselves 

better  suited  for  the  roughness  and  inequalities  of  the  road. 

Within  six  miles  of  Ellyria,  Baker  riding  in  front  along  with 

his  wife,  they  were  met  by  five  or  six  hundred  natives,  who 

pressed   around   them.      A   humpback   interpreter  put  them 

through  the  following  cross-examination.     It  may  be  explained 

that  Mrs.  Baker  was  dressed  in  similar  fashion  to  her  husband, 

in  a  pair  of  loose  trousers  and  gaiters,  with  a  blouse  and  belt, 

the  only  difference  being  that  she  wore  long  sleeves,  while  her 

husband   went   with  his  arms  uncovered.     'In  reply/  writes 

Baker,  *  to  a  question  to  the  humpback,  he  asked  me  who  I  was. 

I  explained  that  I  was  a  traveller.     "You  want  ivory ?"  he 

said.      "No,"  I  answered,  "it  is  of  no  use  to  me."     "Ah, 

you  want  slaves  ?  "  he  replied.     "  Neither  do  I  want  slaves," 

I  answered.     This  was  followed  by  a  burst  of  laughter  from 

the  crowd,   and   the   humpback   continued   his   examination. 

"  Have  you  got  plenty  of  cows  ? "     "  Not  one  ;   but  plenty 

of  beads  and  copper."     "Plenty!  where  are  they?"     "Not 

far   off;  they  will  be  here  presently  with  my  men,"    and  I 

pointed  to  the  direction  from  which  they  would  arrive.    "  What 

countryman  are  you  ? "     "  An  Englishman."     He  had  never 

heard  of  such  people.     "  You  are  a  Turk  ?  "      "  All  right," 

I  replied;  "I  am  anything  you  like."     "And  that  is  your 

son  ? "  (pointing  at   Mrs.  Baker).      "  No,   she   is   my   wife." 


44  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

"  Your  wife  !  What  a  lie  !  He  is  a  boy."  "Not  a  bit  of 
it,"  I  replied ;  "  she  is  my  wife,  who  has  come  with  me  to 
see  the  women  of  this  country."  "What  a  lie!"  he  again 
politely  rejoined. ' 

The  antics  of  a  '  Wallady,'  a  monkey,  diverted  the  natives 
very  much,  though  he  seemed  to  have  an  antipathy  to  black 
people.  He  was  remarkably  fond  of  Mrs.  Baker,  and  seemed 
uneasy  out  of  her  sight.  Arrived  in  the  country  of  Ellyria, 
they  were  fortunate  enough  to  make  friendship  with  the 
trader's  party  formerly  hostile  to  them.  The  chief  Legge 
proved  himself  to  be  a  greedy,  brutal,  and  ignorant  savage, 
who  made  the  most  of  the  travellers,  but  who  would  give 
nothing  in  return.  He  swallowed  a  pint  bottle  of  the  strongest 
spirits  of  wine  which  had  been  offered  to  him,  allowing  it  to 
trickle  down  his  throat  like  water,  and  afterwards  asked  for 
more.  Baker  sketched  the  face  of  this  remarkable  chief  for 
his  portfolio.  *  Of  all  the  villainous  countenances  that  I  have 
ever  seen,'*  he  says,  '  that  of  Legge  excelled.' 

Leaving  the  valley  of  Ellyria,  in  crossing  the  flat  country 
beyond  they  had  an  opportunity  of  observing  the  marching 
order  of  the  trader's  party.  '  Several  of  the  people  were 
mounted  on  donkeys,  some  on  oxen ;  the  most  were  on 
foot,  including  all  the  women  to  the  number  of  about  sixty, 
who  were  the  slaves  of  the  trader's  people.  These  carried 
heavy  loads ;  and  many  in  addition  to  the  burdens  carried 
children  strapped  to  their  backs  in  leather  slings.'  These 
women  were  forced  along  by  their  brutal  owners,  and  fre- 
quently beaten  to  urge  their  progress.  The  flag,  guarded  by 
eight  or  ten  men,  leads  the  trader's  party ;  a  native,  carrying 
a  box  of  five  hundred  cartridges  in  case  of  attack,  walks 
beside  them.     In  single  file  the  porters  and  baggage  follow, 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  45 

with  soldiers  at  intervals  to  guard  in  case  of  runaways.  The 
ammunition  was  carried  by  about  fifteen  natives  in  the  centre. 
Another  flag  was  carried  in  the  rear  of  the  party,  and  behind 
this  no  straggler  is  allowed.  Crossing  the  Kanieti  river,  a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Sobat,  and  the  latter  again  of  the  Nile,  they  arrived 
at  the  village  of  Wakkala.  The  village  consisted  of  about 
seven  hundred  houses,  strongly  protected  by  a  system  of 
palisades  made  of  *  babanoose,'  the  hard  iron  -  wood  of  the 
country.  A  hedge  of  thorns  strengthened  this  fence.  Since 
leaving  Gondokoro,  game  had  been  extremely  scarce ;  but 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  this  village  there  was  abundance. 
Here  they  tasted  meat  for  the  first  time  since  leaving  the 
latter  place.  Another  halt  was  made  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Latomi,  one  of  the  principal  places  in  the  Latooka  country. 
Here  Baker's  men  carried  out  their  former  threat,  and 
attempted  to  mutiny.  The  ringleaders  having  been  dealt  with 
in  rather  a  summary  manner,  order  was  again  restored.  An 
incident  occurred  on  the  march  which  elevated  Baker  in 
the  eyes  of  the  leader  of  the  party,  and  also  of  the  Turks 
themselves.  One  of  the  native  porters  suddenly  throwing 
down  his  load  made  off  at  full  speed,  pursued  by  half-a- 
dozen  Turks,  who  shouted,  '  Shoot  him  !  shoot  him  V  '  Knock 
him  over.'  Baker  gave  chase  after  him  on  his  horse  *  Filfil,' 
and  speedily  overtook  him.  But  for  his  interposition,  he 
would  have  been  shot,  or  well  lashed ;  as  it  was,  he  took 
his  burden  and  joined  the  others  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 
Thus  it  was  that  the  Turks  now  regarded  him  as  an  ally, 
and  the  Latookas  as  their  friend,  in  having  saved  their 
comrade. 

On   arriving   at   Tarrangolle',    one   of  the   chief   towns    of 
Latooka,   the   natives   crowded   around    to   witness    the    two 


46  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

objects  of  great   interest  to  them — the  camels,  and  a  white 
woman.     These  Latookas  are  remarkably  fine  savages;  their 
average  height  is  5  ft.  \\\  in.,  and  they  possess  a  splendid 
muscular  development,  their  arms  and  legs  being  beautifully 
proportioned.     The  appearance  of  their  countenances  is  rather 
pleasing,  as  they  have  high  foreheads,  large  eyes,  high  cheek- 
bones, mouths  not  very  large,  well  shaped,  and  the  lips  rather 
full.     Our  travellers  found  them  frank  and  warlike,  not  morose, 
but  ready  for  either  a  laugh  or  a  fight.     The  town  of  Tarran- 
golle*  comprised  about  three  thousand  houses;   every  house 
was  fortified  by  a  little  stockaded  courtyard,  and  the  town 
itself  was  surrounded  by  iron-wood  palisades.     The  wealth  of 
the  Latookas  consists  for  the  most  part  in  their  cattle,  which 
are  most  carefully  kept.     The  houses  are  usually  bell-shaped, 
others  are  like  a  candle  extinguisher;  the  roofs  are   neatly 
thatched,  the  roof  forming  a  cap  which  descends  to  within  two 
feet  and  a  half  of  the  ground.     The  doorway  is  only  two  feet 
and  two  inches  high ;  the  interior  is  entirely  dark,  as  neither 
here   nor   elsewhere   have   they  risen   to  the  idea  of  having 
windows.      The   bodies   of  these   savages  are  entirely  nude. 
The  greatest  attention  is  paid  to  their  head-dress.     To  perfect 
their  coiffure  requires  a  period  of  from  eight  to  ten  years. 
*  The  Latookas/  writes  Baker,  '  wear  most  exquisite  helmets, 
all  of  which  are  formed  of  their  own  hair,   and  are,  of  course, 
fixtures.  .  .  .  The  thick,  crisp  wool  is  woven  with  fine  twine, 
formed  from  the  bark  of  a  tree,  until  it  presents  a  thick  net- 
work of  felt.    As  the  hair  grows  through  this  matted  substance, 
it  is  subjected  to  the  same  process,  until,  in  the  course  of 
years,  a  compact  substance  is  formed  like  a  strong  felt,  about 
an  inch  and  a  half  thick,  that  has  been  trained  into  the  shape 
of  a  helmet.      A  strong  rim,  of  about  two  inches  deep,  is 


S/J?  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER,  47 

formed  by  sewing  it  together  with  thread ;  and  the  front  part 
of  the  helmet  is  protected  by  a  piece  of  polished  copper,  while 
a  piece  of  the  same  metal,  shaped  like  the  half  of  a  bishop's 
mitre,  and  about  a  foot  in  length,  forms  the  crest.*  These 
elaborate  head-dresses  are  occasionally  ornamented  with  shells 
or  beads,  according  to  the  taste  of  the  owner. 

Their  fighting  weapons  consist  of  the  lance,  a  powerful  iron- 
headed  mace,  a  long-bladed  knife  or  sword,  and  an  iron 
bracelet,  armed  with  knife-blades  about  four  inches  long  by 
half  an  inch  broad ;  their  shields  are  made  of  either  buffalo's 
hide  or  of  giraffe's. 

The  women  are  exceedingly  plain  in  their  personal  appear- 
ance. They  wear  long  tails  like  those  of  horses,  and  aprons  of 
tanned  leather.  Bokkd,  the  wife  of  the  chief,  and  her  daughter, 
were  the  only  pretty  women  he  saw  in  the  country.  Baker 
had  an  interview  with  this  chief  of  Latooka;  his  wife  and 
daughter  also  visited  him,  and  they  were  loaded  with  presents. 
Bokke  suggested  that  Mrs.  Baker  would  be  much  improved  if 
she  would  extract  her  four  front  teeth  from  the  lower  jaw, 
according  to  the  fashion  of  the  country ;  also  that  she  should 
pierce  her  under  lip,  and  wear  the  long,  pointed,  polished 
crystal,  about  the  size  of  a  drawing  pencil,  which  is  generally 
worn  by  the  women  of  the  Latookas.  Women  are  mere 
servants ;  they  grind  the  corn,  fetch  the  water,  gather  firewood, 
cement  the  floors,  and  cook  the  food.  The  price  of  a  strong, 
good-looking  young  woman  would  be  ten  cows.  A  family  of 
daughters  in  Latooka  is  thus  exceedingly  profitable.  *  The 
simple  rule  of  proportion,'  writes  Baker,  *  will  suggest  that  if 
one  daughter  is  worth  ten  cows,  ten  daughters  must  be  worth  a 
hundred,  therefore  a  large  family  is  the  source  of  wealth ;  the 
girls  produce  the  cows,  and  the  boys  milk  them.     All  being 


48  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

perfectly  naked  (I  mean  the  girls  and  the  boys),  there  is  no 
expense,  and  the  children  act  as  herdsmen  to  the  flocks  as  in 
patriarchal  times.  A  multiplicity  of  wives  thus  increases  wealth 
by  the  increase  of  family.  I  am  afraid  this  practical  state  of 
affairs  will  be  a  strong  barrier  to  missionary  enterprise.  A 
savage  holds  to  his  cows  and  his  women,  but  especially  to  his 
cows.' 

While  staying  at  Latooka,  they  heard  that  a  party  of  Turks, 
in  attacking  a  village  on  the  mountains  for  plunder  or  slaves, 
had  been  exterminated.  The  attacking  party  consisted  of  no 
armed  men,  in  addition  to  300  natives.  They  succeeded  in 
burning  a  village  and  in  capturing  a  great  number  of  slaves. 
These  slaves  had  afterwards  retaliated,  forced  the  aggressors  to 
retreat,  and  had  driven  them  over  a  precipice.  The  brutality 
of  the  trader's  party,  shown  towards  the  natives  of  Latooka, 
nearly  brought  about  a  war.  It  was  only  averted  when  the 
natives  discovered  that  they  must  have  been  hopelessly  beaten. 

A  proposal  made  by  Adda,  a  chief,  led  Baker  to  moralize  on 
the  obtuseness  of  the  nature  of  the  savage.  He  asked  him  to 
join  him  in  attacking  a  village  to  procure  hoes.  *  Come  along 
with  me,'  he  said ;  *  bring  your  men  and  guns,  and  we  will 
attack  a  village  near  here,  and  take  their  molotes  (hoes)  and 
cattle;  you  keep  the  cattle,  and  I  will  have  the  molotes.'  On 
being  asked  whether  the  village  was  in  an  enemy's  country,  he 
continued,  *  Oh,  no  !  it  is  close  here ;  but  the  people  are  rather 
rebellious,  and  it  will  do  them  good  to  kill  a  few,  and  to  take 
their  molotes.  If  you  are  afraid,  never  mind,  I  will  ask  the 
Turks  to  do  it.'  Adda  concluded  that  it  must  be  weakness 
which  caused  such  conduct.  Baker's  feelings  at  the  time  were 
noted  in  his  journal : — *  1863,  10th  April,  Ldtooka. — I  wish  the 
black  sympathizers  in  England  could  see  Africa's  inmost  heart 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  49 

as  I  do ;  much  of  their  sympathy  would  subside.  Human 
nature  viewed  in  its  crude  state  as  pictured  amongst  African 
savages  is  quite  on  a  level  with  that  of  the  brute,  and  not  to 
be  compared  with  the  noble  character  of  the  dog.  There  is 
neither  gratitude,  pity,  love,  nor  self-denial ;  no  idea  of  duty;  no 
religion ;  but  covetousness,  ingratitude,  selfishness,  and  cruelty. 
All  are  thieves,  idle,  envious,  and  ready  to  plunder  and  enslave 
their  weaker  neighbours/  This  is  certainly  a  dark  picture, 
and  there  is  all  too  good  ground  for  admitting  its  truthfulness. 
At  the  same  time,  Mungo  Park  and  that  greatest  of  missionary 
travellers,  David  Livingstone,  both  wandered  among  the 
heathens  of  Africa,  and  discovered  the  existence  of  virtues 
which  had  not  been  dreamt  of  before.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  the  explorations  of  Mr.  H.  M.  Stanley,  whose  passage  across 
the  'Dark  Continent'  had  so  provoked  the  hostility  of  the 
natives.  When  at  their  best,  as  in  the  case  of  King  Mtesa  of 
Uganda,  or  King  Rumanika,  they  presented  many  virtues 
which  only  required  patient  Christian  training  and  less  un- 
toward surroundings  to  develop  into  useful  and  presentable 
types  of  manhood. 

The  curious  custom  of  the  funeral  dance  led  Baker  to 
question  an  intelligent  chief  called  Commoro  regarding  this 
musical  festivity  in  honour  of  the  dead,  also  the  habit  of 
exhuming  and  scattering  abroad  the  bones  of  those  who  had 
long  been  buried.  He  had  no  better  reason  to  give  than  that 
it  had  been  the  custom  of  his  forefathers.  The  idea  ©f 
existence  after  death  was  perfectly  unthinkable  for  him. 

Commoro  :  '  Existence  after  death  !  How  can  that  be  ? 
Can  a  dead  man  get  out  of  his  grave,  unless  we  dig  him 
out?1 

f  Do  you  think  man  is  like  a  beast,  that  dies  and  is  ended  ? ' 

III.  D 


5o  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

Commoro  :  *  Certainly.  An  ox  is  stronger  than  a  man ;  but 
he  dies,  and  his  bones  last  longer  \  they  are  bigger.  A  man's 
bones  break  quickly;  he  is  weak/ 

1  Is  not  a  man  superior  in  sense  to  an  ox  ?  Has  he  not  a 
mind  to  direct  his  actions  ? ' 

Commoro :  *  Some  men  are  not  so  clever  as  an  ox.  Men 
must  sow  corn  to  obtain  food,  but  the  ox  and  wild  animals  can 
procure  it  without  sowing.' 

And  so  the  discussion  proceeded,  it  seeming  impossible  the 
while   to   impress   his  mind  with  anything  beyond  the  seen 
and   temporal.      Baker,  in   explaining  the  object  of  his  visit 
to    the    country,    did    not    succeed    any   better;    for   Com- 
moro  said,    '  Suppose  you   get   to  the  great  lake,  what  will 
you  do  with  it  ?     What  will  be  the  good  of  it  ?     If  you  find 
that  the  large  river  does  flow  from  it,  what  then?     What's 
the   good   of  it?'      Baker   in   turn   explained   that   England 
had  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  whole  world  except   the 
interior  of  Africa,  and  that  the  object  in  exploring  was  to 
benefit  the  unknown  countries  in  introducing  legitimate  trade 
and  commerce.    Commoro  replied  that  the  Turks  would  never 
trade  fairly,  that  they  were  extremely  bad  people,  and  that  the 
only  way  in  which  they  would  purchase  ivory  was  by  bartering 
cattle,  which   they  stole  from  one  tribe  in  order  to  sell  to 
another. 

One  of  the  amusements  of  Latooka  was  elephant-hunting,  in 
which  Baker  excelled,  although  on  one  occasion  it  was  at  the 
risk  of  his  life,  being  pursued  by  a  large  bull-elephant  while 
riding  an  exhausted  horse.  The  traders'  party  found  Baker's 
camp  exceedingly  useful  to  them,  being  supplied  with  many 
articles  which  they  needed ;  they  did  not  scruple  to  send  daily 
for  what  they  required.     Having  attained  celebrity  as  a  gun- 


S/J?  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  51 

smith,  hardly  a  day  passed  but  what  some  broken  guns  were 
brought  to  him  for  repair.  Baker  and  Ibrahim,  the  chief  of 
the  Turks'  party,  received  presents  from  the  natives  of  Obbo,  a 
town  south-west  from  Latooka.  As  the  people  were  friendly, 
Ibrahim  determined  to  pay  them  a  visit ;  and  Baker,  delighted 
to  change  the  scene  of  his  present  inaction,  started  with  them 
on  2d  May  1863.  Five  men  were  left  in  charge  of  Baker's 
camp  and  its  effects,  while  the  chief  Commoro  promised  to  see 
after  its  safety.  The  chief  of  Obbo,  he  remarks,  might  have 
been  the  clown  of  a  pantomime,  and  was  far  from  preserving 
the  dignity  of  his  office,  but  gave  them  a  very  kindly  reception, 
however.  The  return  march  furnished  the  excitement  of  a 
giraffe  hunt.  Sickness  now  spread  among  the  animals;  five 
donkeys  died  within  a  few  days,  while  the  remainder  looked 
poor.  The  Latookas  at  once  ate  these  animals.  Two  of  the 
camels  died  suddenly,  having  eaten  of  a  poison  bush.  Mrs. 
Baker  had  an  attack  of  gastric  fever,  and  the  small-pox  had 
broken  out  amongst  the  Turks. 

The  first  clue  to  the  lake  Albert  Nyanza  was  received  from 
Wani,  the  guide  and  interpreter.  He  stated  that  Magungo 
was  situated  on  a  lake  so  large  that  no  one  knew  its  limits. 
Large  vessels  arrived  at  Magungo  from  distant  parts,  bringing 
cowrie  shells  and  beads  in  exchange  for  ivory.  After  a  long 
stay  amongst  the  Latookas,  a  start  was  made  for  the  Obbo 
country  on  23d  June  1863,  although  Mrs.  Baker  was  at  the 
time  dangerously  ill  with  bilious  fever.  The  traders'  party 
with  whom  they  journeyed  had  provoked  the  hostility  of  the 
Latookas,  making  it  dangerous  to  remain  amongst  them. 
Without  the  presence  of  this  party,  also,  he  would  have  been 
unable  to  procure  porters.  Arrived  at  his  former  hut  in  the 
Obbo  country,  he  found  that  a  great  change  had  taken  place. 


52  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

Old  Katchiba,  the  chief,  on  meeting  them,  brought  them 
nothing,  but  said  the  Turks  had  eaten  up  the  country.  They 
had  indeed  arrived  in  a  land  of  starvation.  The  natives 
refused  to  supply  provisions  for  beads;  they  would  barter 
nothing  save  in  exchange  for  flesh.  At  first  they  had  nothing 
to  eat  except  tullaboon,  a  small  bitter  grain  used  instead  of 
corn  by  the  natives.  In  bad  health  and  ill  humour,  Baker 
wrote  thus  in  his  journal : — '  I  hear  that  the  Turks  intend  to 
make  a  razzia  on  the  Shoggo  country  near  Farajoke;  thus 
they  will  stir  up  a  wasp's  nest  for  me  wherever  I  go,  and 
render  it  impossible  for  my  small  party  to  proceed  alone,  or 
even  to  remain  in  peace.  I  shall  be  truly  thankful  to  quit  this 
abominable  land ;  in  my  experience  I  never  saw  such  scoun- 
drels as  Africa  produces,  the  natives  of  the  Soudan  being 
worse  than  alL  It  is  impossible  to  make  a  servant  of  any  of 
these  people ;  the  apathy,  indolence,  dishonesty,  combined 
with  dirtiness,  are  beyond  description ;  and  their  abhorrence  of 
anything  like  order  increases  their  natural  dislike  to  Euro- 
peans. I  have  not  one  man  even  approaching  to  a  servant ; 
the  animals  are  neglected,  therefore  they  die.  And  were  I  to 
die,  they  would  rejoice,  as  they  would  immediately  join 
Koorshid's  people  in  cattle-stealing  and  slave-hunting — 
charming  followers  in  the  time  of  danger  !  Such  men  destroy 
all  pleasure,  and  render  exploration  a  mere  toil.'  Baker  and 
his  wife  were  both  down  with  bilious  fever;  the  flies  were 
killing  the  donkeys.  They  were  tormented  with  flies  by  day, 
with  rats  and  innumerable  bugs  by  night,  heavy  dew,  daily 
rain,  and  impenetrable  reeking  grass,  so  that  the  place  was 
rendered  about  as  disagreeable  a  prison  as  could  exist.  On 
23d  August  the  last  camel  died,  and  only  eight  donkeys 
remained  out  of  twenty-one.     All  the  horses  and  camels  were 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  53 

now  dead;  the  damp  food  caused  by  the  excessive  rain  was 
supposed  to  have  hastened  this  catastrophe. 

Accompanied  by  his  wife,  he  visited  the  chief  Katchiba  on 
30th  August,  by  whom  they  were  very  politely  received.  The 
circular  hut  which  he  inhabited  was  about  twenty-five  feet  in 
diameter,  with  a  narrow  doorway  obliging  the  visitor  to  enter 
on  all-fours.  He  treated  them  to  a  wild,  plaintive  air  on  a 
native  harp,  to  which  he  sang.  Afterwards  he  sent  on  a  sheep 
to  their  hut  as  a  present.  In  return,  he  received  a  gorgeous 
necklace  of  valuable  beads,  which  delighted  him  very  much. 

The  weary  months  dragged  on  at  Obbo.  Worn  down  by 
fever,  the  prospect  of  continuing  the  journey  was  anything  but 
hopeful.  Mrs.  Baker  fortunately  did  not  suffer  quite  so  much 
as  her  husband.  All  the  animals  being  dead,  the  remainder 
of  the  journey  must  be  performed  on  foot ;  and  as  travelling 
on  foot  would  have  been  impossible  in  their  present  weak 
condition,  three  oxen  were  purchased  and  trained  in  lieu  of 
horses.  These  oxen  were  named  respectively,  '  Beef,'  '  Steaks,' 
and  *  Suet.'  *  Beef/  who  was  at  first  a  fine  animal,  got  so 
bitten  with  the  flies,  and  so  down  in  condition,  that  its  name 
was  changed  to  *  Bones.'  Baker  succeeded  in  killing  a  large 
bull-elephant  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Obbo,  which  gratified 
the  natives  very  much.  The  start  was  made  at  last  on  5  th 
January.  The  march  was  now  through  beautiful  park-like 
scenery,  very  different  from  the  rank  and  superabundant 
vegetation  of  Obbo.  Farajoke  was  the  first  village  at  which 
they  arrived.  The  next  halting-place  was  at  the  Asua  river. 
Here  the  Turks  made  a  raid  on  a  native  village,  bringing  with 
them  about  three  hundred  head  of  cattle,  and  a  number  of 
slaves  tied  by  the  neck  with  a  long  leathern  thong,  so  as  to 
form   a   living   chain.     Shooa   was    the    next    halting- place. 


54  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

Fowls,  butter,  and  goats  were  here  to  be  had  in  abundance ; 
and  as  beads  were  of  great  value,  the  women  flocked  to  Mrs. 
Baker,  bringing  presents  of  milk  and  flour  in  exchange  for 
them.  The  country  was  pretty  well  cultivated,  large  quantities 
of  sesame  being  grown  and  carefully  harvested.  Two  days 
after  their  arrival  at  Shooa,  all  the  Obbo  porters  absconded. 
The  reason  for  this  disappearance  was,  that  they  had  heard 
the  expedition  was  bound  for  Kamrasi's  country.  Kamrasi 
they  feared  and  dreaded.  Ibrahim,  the  chief  of  the  traders' 
expedition,  had  done  so  badly  in  the  way  of  collecting  ivory, 
that  on  being  guaranteed  ioo  cantars  (10,000  lbs.)  of  ivory,  he 
agreed  to  push  on  to  Kamrasi.  In  improved  health,  they  left 
Shooa  on  the  18th  January  1864.  A  march  of  eight  miles 
brought  them  to  the  village  of  Fatiko,  situated  upon  a  plateau 
of  rock  upon  elevated  ground.  Here  the  natives  caused  the 
white  travellers  to  undergo  a  rather  painful  method  of  saluta- 
tion, that  of  seizing  both  the  hands  and  raising  the  arms 
three  times  to  their  full  stretch  above  the  head.  After  about 
one  hundred  Fatikos  had  been  introduced,  our  travellers 
thought  it  was  time  to  get  out  of  their  way  before  the  other 
half  of  the  village  should  have  time  to  operate  upon  them. 

Marching  to  the  Victoria  White  Nile,  they  halted  at  Atada, 
where  there  was  a  ferry.  A  messenger  was  sent  to  King 
Kamrasi,  informing  him  who  they  were,  when  they  must  cer- 
tainly await  his  return.  In  the  meantime,  to  quicken  matters 
and  restore  confidence,  their  presents  were  displayed,  consisting 
of  a  handsome  Persian  carpet  about  fifteen  feet  square,  and  a 
heap  of  superb  necklaces.  At  last,  after  considerable  delay, 
the  natives  consented  to  ferry  across  Mrs.  Baker  and  himself, 
with  Ibrahim,  Richarn,  and  Saat.  They  were  welcomed  to 
a  blazing  fire,  and   received  something  to  eat,   when  Baker 


SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER.  55 

endeavoured  to  lull  their  suspicions.  Traces  of  Speke's  visit 
were  apparent,  as  a  man  showed  a  small  string  of  blue  beads 
which  he  had  received  for  ferrying  him  across  the  river. 

The  natives  of  Unyoro  exhibited  here  more  decency  in 
clothing  than  the  naked  savages  amongst  whom  they  had 
been  travelling  farther  northwards.  The  women  were  neatly 
dressed  in  short  petticoats  with  a  double  skirt ;  many  exposed 
the  bosom,  while  others  wore  a  piece  of  bark  cloth  arranged 
as  a  plaid  across  the  chest  and  shoulders.  This  cloth  is 
produced  from  the  bark  of  a  species  of  fig  tree,  the  best 
quality  of  which  is  as  soft  to  the  touch  as  woven  cotton. 
Their  native  blacksmiihs  were  very  clever,  using  iron  hammers 
instead  of  stone,  and  drawing  fine  wire  from  the  thick  copper 
and  brass  wire  which  they  received  from  Zanzibar.  These 
natives  also  make  a  fine  quality  of  jet-black  earthenware, 
making  tobacco-pipes  finely  worked  in  imitation  of  the  small 
egg-shaped  gourd.  Mrs.  Baker's  blonde  hair  was  a  great 
wonder  to  the  natives :  she  was  literally  mobbed  by  them 
to  see  the  extraordinary  sight,  when  caught  dressing  it  in  the 
doorway  of  her  hut.  The  native  huts  are  large  (about  20 
feet  in  diameter),  made  entirely  of  reeds  and  straw,  and  in  the 
shape  of  a  beehive, — 'very  different,'  as  Baker  remarks,  'to 
the  dog-kennels  of  the  northern  tribes.'  They  are  extremely 
neat  in  all  that  they  do ;  what  they  sell  is  carefully  wrapped  up 
in  neat  parcels,  usually  formed  of  the  bark  of  the  plantain. 
They  are  in  the  habit  of  preparing  goat-skins,  making  them  as 
soft  as  chamois  leather.  These  they  cut  into  squares,  and  sew 
together  into  mantles  as  neatly  as  could  be  done  by  a  European 
tailor.  Beads,  while  a  marketable  commodity,  owing  to  their 
imperishable  nature  might  slacken  in  demand;  but  articles  of 
clothing  might  here  form  the  basis  of  a  legitimate  trade. 


56  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


Kamrasi  treated  Baker  to  an  interview,  after  a  most  harass- 
ing  delay,  near  M'rooli,  his  capital.  He  was  so  weak  and  ill 
that  he  had  to  be  laid  on  a  mat  at  the  king's  feet.  Kamrasi 
was  a  fine-looking  man,  with  prominent  eyes,  about  six  feet 
high,  beautifully  clean,  and  dressed  in  a  robe  of  bark-cloth. 
His  complexion  was  a  dark  brown ;  and  he  sat  on  a  copper 
stool  placed  upon  a  carpet  of  leopard  skins,  and  was  sur- 
rounded by  ten  of  his  principal  chiefs.  Baker's  presents  were 
very  handsome  :  a  large  white  Cashmere  mantle,  a  red  silk 
netted  sash,  a  pair  of  scarlet  Turkish  shoes,  several  pairs  of 
socks,  a  double-barrelled  gun  and  ammunition,  and  a  quantity 
of  first-class  beads.  The  firing  of  a  gun  caused  some  of  the 
crowd  to  tumble  over  one  another  like  rabbits,  much  to  the 
amusement  of  the  king.  Baker  received  as  a  present,  seven- 
teen cows,  twenty  pots  of  sour  plantain  cider,  and  several  loads 
of  unripe  plantains.  Having  heard  that  the  lake  was  so  far 
distant,  all  his  porters  deserted  him  on  16th  February. 

Before  leaving  for  the  lake,  the  king  showed  the  genuine 
greed  of  his  nature  by  demanding  more  presents,  concluding 
by  the  following,  expressed  in  the  coolest  possible  manner : 

*  I  will  send  you  to  the  lake  and  to  Shooa,  as  I  have  promised ; 
but  you  must  leave  your  wife  with  me.'  The  insolence  of  this 
last  demand  drew  down  upon  him  the  wrath  of  both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Baker,  when  in  reply  he  said,  in  apparent  astonishment : 

*  Don't  be  angry  !  I  had  no  intention  of  offending  you  by 
asking  for  your  wife.  I  will  give  you  a  wife,  if  you  want  one ; 
and  I  thought  you  might  have  no  objections  to  give  me  yours 
— it  is  my  custom  to  give  my  visitors  pretty  wives,  and  I 
thought  you  might  exchange.  Don't  make  a  fuss  about  it. 
If  you  don't  like  it,  there's  an  end  of  it ;  I  will  never  mention 
it  again.' 


SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER.  57 

Glad  to  turn  his  back  upon  M'rooli,  Baker  continued  his 
march  towards  the  great  lake.  The  escort  provided  by 
Kamrasi  was  anything  but  an  agreeable  one.  Crossing  the 
marshes  near  Kafoor  river,  Mrs.  Baker  received  a  sunstroke, 
when  her  life  was  despaired  of.  On  the  frontier  of  Uganda, 
worn  out  with  fever  and  marching  and  anxiety  on  account  of 
his  wife,  whose  death  was  hourly  expected,  he  sank  helpless. 
Mrs.  Baker  had  endured  seven  days  of  brain  fever,  when  she 
recovered  in  an  almost  miraculous  manner.  The  moment 
when  this  change  was  observed  by  the  worn-out  and  anxious 
explorer  is  best  given  in  his  own  words  : — '  I  had  slept ;  and 
horrified  as  the  idea  flashed  upon  me  that  she  must  be  dead, 
and  that  I  had  not  been  with  her,  I  started  up.  She  lay  upon 
her  bed,  pale  as  marble,  and  with  that  calm  serenity  that  the 
features  assume  when  the  cares  of  life  no  longer  act  upon  the 
mind,  and  the  body  rests  in  death.  The  dreadful  thought 
bowed  me  down ;  but  as  I  gazed  upon  her  in  fear,  her  chest 
gently  heaved,  not  with  the  convulsive  throbs  of  fever,  but 
naturally.  She  was  asleep ;  and  when,  at  a  sudden  noise,  she 
opened  her  eyes,  they  were  calm  and  clear.  She  was  saved ! 
When  not  a  ray  of  hope  remained,  God  alone  knows  what 
helped  us.  The  gratitude  of  that  moment  I  will  not  attempt 
to  describe. ' 

Halting  at  Parkani,  the  next  stage,  it  was  reported,  would 
bring  them  to  the  M'wooten  N'zige.  That  night  was  a  restless 
one  with  the  explorer,  as  the  goal  of  his  hopes  was  within 
reach.  Next  day,  the  14th  March,  they  were  early  astir, 
and,  pushing  forward,  reached  the  summit  of  a  slope  from 
which  a  good  view  could  be  obtained.  '  The  glory  of  our 
prize/  writes  Baker,  *  burst  suddenly  upon  me  !  There,  like  a 
sea  of  quicksilver,  lay  far  beneath  the  grand  expanse  of  water, 


5 8  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

—a  boundless  sea -horizon  on  the  south  and  south-west, 
glittering  in  the  noonday  sun;  and  on  the  west,  at  fifty  or 
sixty  miles'  distance,  blue  mountains  rose  from  the  bosom  of 
the  lake  to  a  height  of  about  7000  feet  above  its  level/  As  an 
imperishable  memorial  of  the  consort  of  the  Queen,  the  much- 
loved  Prince  Albert,  it  was  named  'The  Albert  Nyanza.' 
The  beach  was  perfectly  clean  sand,  the  waves  throwing  up 
sea-weed  as  the  sea  does  on  an  English  sea-shore.  The  lake 
was  known  to  extend  as  far  south  as  Karagwd  The  eastern 
shores  of  the  lake,  from  north  to  south,  were  occupied  by 
Chopi,  Unyoro,  Uganda,  Utumbi,  and  Karagwd.  The  chief 
assured  them  that  large  canoes  had  been  known  to  cross  over 
from  the  other  side,  but  that  this  required  four  days  and  nights 
of  hard  rowing  to  accomplish.  Besides,  the  canoes  of  Unyoro 
were  not  adapted  for  such  a  journey.  A  feast  was  given  to  the 
men  in  honour  of  the  discovery. 

It  was  with  a  hopeful  and  exultant  feeling  that  Baker 
stood  on  the  shores  of  the  great  lake  after  three  years  of 
arduous  toil,  his  pale  and  exhausted  wife,  the  attendant  of 
his  wanderings,  beside  him.  They  settled  meanwhile  in  a 
miserable  fishing  village  near  the  lake,  called  Vacovia.  The 
principal  product  of  the  country  was  salt,  with  which  the 
ground  was  strongly  impregnated.  Further  examination 
showed  that  the  lake  was  a  vast  depression,  far  below 
the  general  level  of  the  country,  surrounded  by  precipitous 
cliffs,  bounded  on  the  west  and  south-west  by  great  ranges 
of  mountains  from  five  to  seven  thousand  feet  high.  The 
Victoria  Nyanza  discovered  by  Speke  was  a  reservoir  for  the 
waters  of  the  Nile,  formed  at  a  high  altitude.  The  Albert 
lake,  extending  much  farther  north  than  the  Victoria,  receives 
its  waters  from  the  latter  lake,  and  forms  the  grand  reservoir 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  59 

for  the  waters  of  the  Nile.  Different  affluents  were  also  seen 
by  telescope  flowing  into  the  Albert  lake  from  the  mountains 
on  the  west  side. 

It  was  imperatively  necessary  that  what  was  intended  to 
be  accomplished  in  the  way  of  further  exploration  should  be 
done  at  once,  as  the  return  to  England  that  year  depended 
upon  their  being  forward  at  Gondokoro  before  the  end  of 
April.  Their  guide  was  sent  overland  with  the  oxen  to 
Magungo,  where  the  Victoria  Nile  emptied  its  waters  into 
the  Albert  Nyanza.  Boats  were  ordered  for  the  exploration 
of  the  coast  northwards  from  Vacovia  to  Magungo.  Before 
starting,  the  whole  party  were  down  with  fever,  which  augured 
ill  for  the  success  of  the  expedition.  Eight  days  were 
passed  at  Vacovia  before  the  canoes  arrived.  They  were 
merely  single  trees  neatly  hollowed  out,  the  largest  being 
thirty-two  feet  long ;  the  one  selected  for  himself  was  twenty- 
six  feet  long,  but  wider  and  deeper  than  the  other.  On  the 
latter  he  constructed  a  framework,  thatched  with  hides, 
beneath  which  Mrs.  Baker  could  be  defended  from  the  sun 
and  rain.  The  first  part  of  the  voyage  was  completely  suc- 
cessful ;  before  they  had  reached  their  destination,  however, 
they  had  experienced  many  vicissitudes.  Their  boatmen 
deserted,  and  they  made  a  narrow  escape  from  being  upset 
in  a  storm  on  the  lake.  Several  fine  herds  of  elephants  were 
seen  in  the  course  of  the  voyage,  bathing  together  in  the  lake. 
Mrs.  Baker  suffered  severely  during  the  voyage :  during  the 
day  they  were  cramped  in  the  small  cabin,  and  during  the 
night  it  invariably  rained.  The  mosquitoes,  too,  were  very 
troublesome.  Arrived  at  Magungo,  the  riding  oxen  were 
reported  to  be  in  good  order.  They  found  the  fishing  arrange- 
ments of  the   natives  to  be  on  a  most   extensive   scale.     A 


60  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

regular  system  of  basket  traps  existed  along  the  shores  of 
the  lake  for  the  capture  of  the  fish.  The  portion  of  a  splendid 
fish,  the  baggera,  was  found  in  the  lake;  it  weighed  about 
fifty  pounds.  It  had  evidently  been  bitten  by  a  crocodile. 
There  are  several  varieties  of  fish  in  the  lake  which  exceed 
two  hundred  pounds  in  weight. 

The  appearance  of  the  outlet  of  the  lake  northwards, 
looking  from  Magungo,  is  thus  described  by  Baker  : — '  A 
few  miles  north  there  appeared  to  be  a  gap  in  the  range, 
and  the  lake  continued  to  the  west,  but  much  contracted, 
while  the  mountain  range  on  the  northern  side  of  the  gap 
continued  to  the  north-east.  Due  north  and  north-east  the 
country  was  a  dead  flat,  and  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  was 
an  extent  of  bright  green  reeds,  marking  the  course  of  the 
Nile  as  it  made  its  exit  from  the  lake.  The  sheet  of  water 
at  Magungo,  being  about  seventeen  miles  in  width,  ended  in 
a  long  strip  or  tail  to  the  north,  until  it  was  lost  in  the 
flat  valley  of  green  rushes.  This  valley  may  have  been  from 
four  to  six  miles  wide,  and  was  bounded  upon  its  west  bank 
by  the  continuation  of  the  chain  of  mountains  that  had 
formed  the  western  boundary  of  the  lake.'  The  natives 
reported  that  canoes  could  navigate  the  Nile  in  its  course 
from  the  lake  to  the  Maudi  country,  as  there  were  no 
cataracts  for  a  great  distance,  but  both  the  Maudi  and  Koslie 
tribes  were  reported  to  be  hostile.  The  current  of  the  river 
was  also  said  to  be  so  strong  that  a  canoe  could  not  return 
without  many  rowers. 

In  order  to  prove  that  the  body  of  dead  water  which  entered 
the  lake  at  Magungo  was  really  the  Victoria  Nile,  they  sailed 
up  the  river  for  eighteen  miles,  when  a  gentle  current  towards 
the  lake  became  perceptible.     The  current  increased  as  they 


S/R  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  61 

proceeded,  until  they  came  within  sight  of  a  magnificent 
waterfall.  The  cliffs  on  either  side  were  beautifully  wooded, 
rising  abruptly  to  a  height  of  about  300  feet.  The  river 
was  here  contracted  into  a  narrow  gorge  of  scarcely  fifty 
yards  in  width,  and  rushing  through  the  gap  cleft  in  the 
rock,  and  roaring  furiously,  it  plunged  downwards  to  a  depth 
of  120  feet.  In  honour  of  the  president  of  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society,  Baker  named  this  magnificent  cataract 
the  Murchison  Falls.  They  did  not  succeed,  owing  to  the 
strength  of  the  current,  in  bringing  their  canoes  nearer  than 
about  300  yards  of  the  base.  A  sandbank  to  their  left  was 
literally  covered  with  crocodiles,  lying  like  trunks  of  trees 
ready  for  shipment.  After  sketching  the  Murchison  Falls, 
they  drifted  rapidly  downward  to  the  deserted  fishing-village 
whence  they  had  started. 

They  started  as  soon  as  possible  on  the  return  journey, 
their  route  being  parallel  with  the  Victoria  Nile.  A  halt 
was  made  at  an  island  in  the  river  called  Patooan ;  but  by 
this  time  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker  were  both  down  with  fever. 
The  work  of  exploration  was  completed,  but  they  had  many 
difficulties  to  face.  Kamrasi,  the  king  of  Unyoro,  was  at 
war  with  a  neighbouring  tribe.  The  boats  which  they  de- 
pended upon  for  a  return  to  civilisation  would  certainly  have 
left  Gondokoro  before  they  could  possibly  reach  them.  Porters 
could  not  now  be  procured  at  any  price  to  convey  their 
goods  from  Patooan.  Only  one  riding  ox  remained  alive, 
and  that,  too,  was  half  dead.  Baker  offered  the  natives  all 
the  beads  he  had  (about  fifty  pounds)  and  all  his  baggage, 
if  they  would  but  carry  him  direct  to  Shooa  from  the  spot. 
They  were  in  the  midst,  too,  of  the  rainy  season ;  neither 
of  them   could   walk   a  quarter  of  a  mile  without   fainting. 


62  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

They  had  no  guide,  and  the  country  was  covered  with  grass 
and  vegetation  about  eight  feet  high.      Provisions  were  also 
scarce,  and  many  of  the  men  connected  with  the  expedition 
were  weak,  the  whole  party  having  suffered  from  fever.     In 
his   own   words,    they   'were   completely   helpless.'      Leaving 
the  island  of  Patooan,  as  they  were  determined  to  proceed, 
the   natives    deposited    them   in   a   deserted   village,    half  of 
which  was  burnt.      The  hut  which  they  occupied  was  filthy 
in  the  extreme,  and  flooded  with  the  rain.     Here  the  natives 
deserted  them.      '  Every  man  had  absconded,'  writes  Baker ; 
'there   were    neither   inhabitants   nor   provisions;   the   whole 
country  was  a  wilderness  of  rank  grass  that  hemmed  us  in 
on  all  sides ;  not  an  animal,  nor  even  a  bird,  was  to  be  seen  \ 
it  was  a  miserable,   damp,   lifeless  country. '      Their  distress 
was  a  little  relieved  by  discovering  amongst  the  ruins  of  the 
village  some  of  the  seed  called  'tullaboon.,     So  for  many  a 
day  the  daily  dinner  consisted  of  a  mess  of  black  porridge 
made   from   this  mouldy  seed,   with  the  addition  of  several 
vegetables,  which  were  used  instead  of  spinach.     A  species 
of  wild  thyme  found  in  the  jungles  was  used  as  a  substitute 
for  tea.     This  poor  fare,  and  the  effects  of  the  climate,  pros- 
trated both   Mr.    and   Mrs.    Baker   for   nearly  two   months. 
Baker's  vision  of  perfect  happiness  at  this  time  was  an  English 
beefsteak  and   a  bottle  of  pale  ale,  could   such   have  been 
procured.     While  the  men  seemed  to  thrive  on  such  poor  fare, 
both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker  were  reduced  to  skeletons.     In  case 
of  death,  Baker  wrote  instructions  in  his  journal,  telling  his 
headman  to  be  sure  to  deliver  his  maps,  observations,  and 
papers  to  the  English  Consul  at  Khartoum. 

Baker  now  discovered  that  they  were  cruelly  deserted  and 
were  being  starved  with  the  knowledge  of  Kamrasi,  king  of 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  63 


Unyoro,  his  aim  being  that  his  men  should  assist  him 
against  the  enemy.  After  two  months  of  suffering  at  this 
spot,  called  Shooa  Mom,  Baker  sent  messengers  to  Kamrasi, 
who  were  to  explain  that  he  was  insulted  in  treating  through 
a  third  party  in  proposing  an  alliance,  that  he  was  a  more 
powerful  chief  than  Kamrasi,  and  that  if  he  wished  his 
alliance  he  must  treat  with  him  in  person.  Some  days  elapsed, 
when  a  messenger  arrived  from  Kamrasi  with  orders  that 
Baker's  whole  party  were  to  proceed  to  Kamrasi.  On  reaching 
his  camp,  a  meeting  took  place  between  Ibrahim,  the  chief 
of  the  Turkish  traders,  with  whom  they  had  formerly  journeyed 
from  Gondokoro.  The  report  had  previously  reached  them 
that  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker  were  dead.  The  greeting 
between  Baker's  party  and  that  of  the  Turks  was  very 
hearty.  They  all  came  to  kiss  Baker's  hand  and  that  of  his 
wife,  saying,  '  By  Allah,  no  woman  in  the  world  had  a  heart 
so  tough  as  to  dare  to  face  what  she  had  gone  through.' 
*  Thank  God — be  grateful  to  God.'  With  the  addition  of  the 
Turks'  party,  they  now  numbered  twenty-four  armed  men. 

Baker  was  not  long  in  discovering,  after  his  arrival  at 
Kisoona,  that  he  had  been  deceived  in  his  former  interview 
with  the  king  at  Atada.  Instead  of  seeing  the  real  king,  he 
had  only  interviewed  his  brother.  This  conduct  was  the 
result  of  pure  cowardice  and  want  of  faith  in  Baker's  inten- 
tions. When  Speke  passed  through  the  country,  he  had  also 
been  kept  waiting  for  fifteen  days  before  the  king  had  con- 
descended to  see  him.  On  the  morning  after  his  arrival, 
the  brother  of  the  king  called,  requesting  him  to  go  and 
visit  his  royal  highness.  Baker  very  pertinently  replied  that 
he  was  hungry  and  weak  from  want  of  food,  and  that  he 
wanted  meat,  and  not  the  man  who  had  starved  him.      A 


64  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

beautiful  cow  or  calf,  a  fat  sheep,  and  two  pots  of  plantain 
cider  were  sent  in  the  afternoon  as  a  present  from  Kamrasi. 
The  latter,  however,  kept  up  his  character  as  a  notorious 
beggar,  by  sending  in  the  evening  for  the  little  double  rifle 
which  he  always  carried,  also  for  his  watch  and  compass. 
These  were  refused,  and  the  reason  was  given  that  he  had 
failed  in  his  promise  to  forward  him  to  Shooa ;  that  he 
required  no  presents  from  him,  as  he  always  expected  a 
thousand-fold  in  return.  When  the  actual  introduction  to  the 
real  Kamrasi  took  place,  Baker  threw  off  the  rags  in  which  he 
had  been  travelling,  and  attired  himself  in  a  suit  of  Athole 
tartan.  The  king  was  sitting  in  a  porch  in  front  of  a  hut, 
and  when  Baker  approached,  he  scarcely  condescended  to 
look  on  him,  but  turned  to  his  attendants  and  made  some 
remark,  which  evidently  amused  them.  His  brother  M'gambi, 
who  had  formerly  acted  the  part  of  the  king  at  M'rooli,  sat 
upon  the  ground  a  few  feet  from  Kamrasi.  Several  of  the 
chiefs  sat  upon  the  straw  with  which  the  porch  was  littered. 
One  of  his  questions  was  why  he  had  not  been  to  see  him 
before.  Baker  replied  that  he  had  been  starved  in  his 
country  and  had  not  been  able. 

Concluding  that  Kisoona  would  have  to  be  his  home 
until  an  opportunity  occurred  for  quitting  the  country  for 
Shooa,  Baker  constructed  a  comfortable  little  hut  for  his 
own  use,  surrounded  by  a  courtyard  strongly  fenced  ;  in  the 
latter  he  arranged  an  open  shed  in  which  to  sit  during  the 
heat  of  the  day.  With  plenty  of  milk,  butcher-meat,  and  flour, 
the  whole  party  began  to  look  thriving  and  fat.  The  natives 
there  never  use  their  milk  until  it  is  curdled.  The  young 
girls  intended  as  wives  of  the  king  are  not  appreciated  unless 
extremely  fat     At  an  early  age,  they  are  forced  to  swallow 


SIX  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  65 

about  a  gallon  of  curdled  milk  daily,  which  has  the  effect 
upon  them  of  making  them  extremely  fat.  The  staple  article 
of  food  throughout  Unyoro  is  the  plantain,  which  is  eaten 
in  several  ways.  The  green  plantains  are  used  as  potatoes ; 
they  are  also  peeled,  cut  into  thin  slices,  and  dried  in  the 
sun.  In  this  state  they  are  stored  up,  when  they  are  after- 
wards made  into  soup.  They  are  also  ground  into  flour; 
the  bark  serves  as  brown  paper,  and  is  waterproof.  The  fibre 
supplies  both  thread  and  cord.  The  natives  proved  them- 
selves remarkably  sharp  at  making  bargains,  and  in  their 
dealings  required  pretty  close  watching. 

It  was  one  day  reported  that  the  king  intended  to  pay  a 
visit  to  the  hut  of  the  traveller,  and  knowing  his  begging  pro- 
pensities, although  little  was  left  of  his  original  baggage  except 
the  guns,  ammunition,  and  astronomical  instruments,  yet  every- 
thing of  any  value  was  hid  underneath  the  beds,  in  case  he 
should  discover  that  he  was  in  want  of  something.  Kamrasi 
came  with  his  numerous  attendants,  but  he  was  scarcely  seated 
in  a  rude  arm-chair,  which  had  been  constructed  by  one  of  the 
men,  when  he  asked  the  chair  as  a  present.  The  promise 
was  given  that  one  would  be  made  for  him  immediately.  His 
eye  wandering  over  the  hut  in  search  of  something  which  he 
could  ask,  and  seeing  the  interior  so  bare,  he  laughingly 
turned  to  one  of  his  people  and  said  :  '  How  was  it  that 
they  wanted  so  many  porters  if  they  have  nothing  to 
carry?'  A  selection  of  beads  having  been  presented  to 
him,  he  renewed  his  request  for  a  No.  24  double  rifle, 
which  was  refused.  Wishing  to  see  the  contents  of  some 
of  the  baskets  and  bags  containing  several  miscellaneous 
articles,  nothing  took  his  fancy  except  the  needles,  thread, 
lancets,  medicines,   and  a  small-tooth  comb.     With  the  latter 

III.  E 


66  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

article  he  scratched  his  own  head,  when  it  was  handed  round 
amongst  the  chiefs  for  a  like  purpose.  The  lancets,  medicines, 
and  a  concave  mirror  were  also  examined.  After  some  con- 
versation with  the  king  as  to  his  ancestors,  Kamrasi 
endeavoured  to  get  Baker  to  acquiesce  in  a  scheme  for 
shooting  a  chief  who  was  at  war  with  him.  Baker  declined, 
telling  him  plainly  that  he  did  not  intend  to  mix  himself 
up  with  his  quarrels,  that  he  would  harm  no  one  except  in 
self-defence,  and  that  thus  he  could  not  be  the  aggressor. 
Should  the  chiefs  who  were  hostile  to  him,  however,  Fowooka 
and  Rionga,  attack  his  position,  he  would  be  glad  to  give 
his  aid  to  repel  them.  The  king  left  suddenly  as  if  he  had 
been  affronted. 

Kamrasi  was  suddenly  alarmed  while  at  Kisoona  by  the 
report  that  a  hostile  trading  party  had  entered  his  territory, 
and  was  marching  against  him  with  the  intention  of  attacking 
the  country  and  killing  himself.  The  king,  who  was  panic- 
stricken  and  determined  on  flight,  secured  the  intervention 
of  Baker,  who  had  the  English  ensign  hoisted  on  a  tall  flag- 
staff in  the  courtyard.  A  deputation  from  the  traders*  party 
waited  upon  Baker,  when  he  assumed  high  ground  in  argu- 
ment, asking  them  how  they  dared  presume  to  attack  a 
country  under  the  protection  of  the  British  flag ;  that  Unyoro 
belonged  to  him  by  right  of  discovery,  and  that  he  had 
given  the  exclusive  right  to  the  produce  of  the  country  to 
Ibrahim,  the  head  of  the  traders'  party  which  had  formerly 
accompanied  him  southward.  He  also  explained  that  he 
would  resist  any  attack  that  should  be  made  on  Kamrasi, 
and  that  he  would  report  the  whole  affair  to  the  Turkish 
authorities  at  Khartoum.  This  had  the  desired  effect,  and 
Kamrasi  was  freed  from  the  invaders.     His  first  emotions  of 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  67 

thankfulness  were  expressed  in  a  desire  to  secure  the  British 
flag  which  had  worked  such  wonders.  On  being  refused,  he 
replied :  '  If  you  cannot  give  me  the  flag,  give  me  at  least 
that  little  double-barrelled  rifle  that  you  do  not  require,  as 
you  are  going  home ;  then  I  can  defend  myself  should  the 
Turks  attack  me,'  This  rifle  was  refused,  now  for  about 
the  twentieth  time. 

Drums  were  beaten,  horns  were  blown,  and  singing  and 
dancing  took  place  in  all  directions  when  it  was  known  on 
the  following  day  that  the  hostile  traders'  party  had  retreated 
across  the  Nile,  as  agreed  upon.  A  reply  reached  Baker  from 
Mahommed  Wat-el-Mek,  the  leader  of  the  party,  saying  that 
he  was  neither  afraid  of  Ibrahim's  people  nor  of  Kamrasi, 
but  that  as  Baker  had  claimed  the  country,  they  must  retire. 
A  few  days  afterwards  Kamrasi  determined  to  give  the 
finishing  stroke  to  his  enemies.  He  attacked  the  neighbour- 
ing chief  Fowooka,  captured  the  islands  on  which  he  resided, 
massacred  the  greater  number  of  the  inhabitants,  and  brought 
away  their  women  and  children  as  slaves.  Many  of  the 
women  were  wives  of  the  rebel  chiefs,  who  had  never  worked 
laboriously,  who  were  for  the  most  part  good-looking,  with 
soft  and  pleasing  expression,  brown  complexion,  fine  noses, 
woolly  hair,  and  good  figures.  Some  old  women  who 
had  also  been  captured,  and  were  unable  to  keep  up  with 
their  victors  on  the  return  march,  were  killed  on  the  road 
as  being  cumbersome.  This  victory  delighted  Kamrasi  ex- 
ceedingly, and  he  sent  large  quantities  of  ivory  to  Ibrahim  : 
a  large  hut  was  filled  with  elephants'  tusks  of  the  largest 
size. 

The  time  arrived  for  leaving  Kisoona.  The  place  was  no 
longer  habitable,  as   the  M'was  of  Uganda  had  entered  the 


68  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

country,  and  Kamrasi  had  fled  the  village.  Mrs.  Baker  was 
carried  in  a  litter,  and  her  husband  in  a  chair.  They  halted 
at  the  village  of  Deang.  Here  the  porters  deserted.  The 
next  portion  of  the  march  to  Foweera  was  both  difficult  and 
dangerous.  When  they  reached  the  latter  village,  they  found 
it  in  great  excitement,  as  the  M'was  were  reported  as  only 
three  miles  distant.  Here  a  favourite  servant,  Richarn,  who 
was  reported  killed,  returned  quite  safe.  His  loss  would 
have  been  a  heavy  one,  as  he  carried  the  gun  of  that  great 
traveller  and  hunter  Osvvell.  On  the  20th  September, 
Ibrahim  arrived  with  the  post  from  England,  which  had 
come  through  the  Consul  at  Khartoum.  With  the  exception 
of  a  letter  and  a  copy  of  the  Illustrated  London  News  from 
Captain  Speke,  this  post  was  of  a  two  years'  old  date.  The 
letters  had  been  brought  from  Gondokoro  by  Ibrahim.  He 
had  also  thought  of  other  necessities,  and  had  brought  a 
coarse  piece  of  cotton  cloth  to  make  into  clothes  for  Baker, 
with  a  piece  of  cotton  print  as  a  dress  for  his  wife.  He 
also  brought  a  large  jar  of  honey,  some  rice  and  coffee,  which 
had  been  left  for  want  of  porters  at  Shooa.  Ibrahim  now 
came  into  possession  of  the  large  stores  of  ivory  which  had 
been  concealed  at  Kisoona ;  Kamrasi  also  sent  an  additional 
supply  to  the  place  where  they  had  halted,  within  half  a  mile 
of  the  Victoria  Nile.  Ibrahim's  men  assisted  Kamrasi  in 
invading  the  Langgo  country,  where  Fowooka,  his  old  enemy, 
had  retreated,  and  received  handsome  donations  of  ivory 
in  return.  These  instalments  of  ivory  were,  however,  more 
than  paid  for  by  the  cattle  which  he  received  from  the 
Turks.  These  cattle  had  been  plundered  from  their  enemies. 
Ibrahim  had  brought  many  presents  with  him  from  Gondo- 
koro for  Kamrasi ;  amongst  them  fifty  pounds  of  beads,   a 


S/J?  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  69 

revolver  pistol,  cotton  cloths,  blue  glass  tumblers,  looking- 
glasses,  etc.  When  the  war  was  finished,  Kamrasi  determined 
to  destroy  all  those  inhabitants  of  Foweera  who  had  been 
in  league  with  his  enemies  the  M'was,  and  had  a  number 
of  them  executed  daily.  Baker  moralizes  thus  on  the  power 
of  this  king.  In  addition  to  those  slaves  captured  in  the 
various  wars,  Kamrasi  had  presented  him  with  seventy-two. 
*  There  never  was  a  more  supreme  despot/  writes  Baker, 
'than  the  king  Kamrasi.  Not  only  the  property,  but  the 
families  of  his  subjects  were  at  his  disposal ;  he  boasted  that 
M  all  belonged  to  him."  Thus,  when  disposed  to  be  liberal, 
he  took  from  others  and  bestowed  upon  his  favourites ;  should 
any  sufferer  complain,  there  were  no  lawyer's  costs,  but  the 
"  shoe"  or  death.  His  power  depended  upon  a  perfect 
system  of  espionage,  by  which  he  obtained  a  knowledge  of 
all  that  passed  throughout  his  kingdom  ;  that  being  divided 
into  numerous  small  districts,  each  governed  by  a  chief,  who 
was  responsible  for  the  acts  committed  within  his  jurisdiction, 
the  government  was  wonderfully  simplified.  Should  a  com- 
plaint be  made  against  a  governor,  he  was  summoned  before 
the  king;  if  guilty,  death  or  the  "shoe."  To  be  suspected 
of  rebellion  was  to  die.  A  bodyguard  of  about  five  hundred 
men,  who  were  allowed  to  pillage  the  country  at  discretion, 
secured  the  power  of  the  king,  as  with  this  organized  force 
always  at  hand,  he  could  pounce  upon  the  suspected  and 
extinguish  them  at  once ;  thus  the  tyrant  held  his  sway  over 
a  population  so  timid  that  they  yielded  tamely  to  his  op- 
pression. Having  now  allied  himself  to  the  Turks,  he  had 
conceived  the  most  ambitious  views  of -conquering  Uganda, 
and  of  restoring  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Kitwara ;  but  the 
total  absence  of  physical  courage  will  utterly  frustrate  such 


70  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

plans  for  extension,  and   Kamrasi  the   Cruel   will   never   be 
known  as  Kamrasi  the  Conqueror.' 

About  the  middle  of  November  they  bade  adieu  to  Kamrasi, 
as  the  Turks  with  whom  they  intended  to  travel  were  ready  to 
return  to  Shooa.  The  amount  of  ivory  was  so  great  that  seven 
hundred  porters  were  required  to  carry  it  and  the  provisions 
for  a  five  days'  march  through  uninhabited  country.  Baker 
had  now  spent  ten  months  of  wretchedness  in  the  country  of 
Unyoro,  and  was  glad  to  turn  his  back  upon  it.  The  whole 
party,  including  women  and  children,  numbered  about  one 
thousand.  At  the  end  of  the  fifth  day's  march,  Shooa  was 
reached.  They  found  the  change  delightful  after  Unyoro,  the 
vegetation  there  being  wet  and  dense,  while  it  was  now  dry, 
and  the  grass  short  and  of  a  fine  quality.  The  native  women 
crowded  round  the  camp  to  welcome  Mrs.  Baker,  dancing  in 
honour  of  their  return;  expecting,  however,  the  present  of 
a  cow  for  their  trouble.  The  time  spent  at  Shooa,  Baker 
employed  in  rambling  about  the  neighbourhood,  climbing  the 
mountain,  collecting  information,  and  making  duplicates  of 
maps.  The  Turks  had  discovered  a  new  country  called  Lira, 
about  thirty  miles  from  Shooa,  where  the  natives  were  reported 
to  be  extremely  friendly.  In  some  of  those  who  were  located 
in  the  Turks'  camp,  the  head-dress  formed  a  remarkable  feature 
in  their  general  appearance.  The  hair  was  woven  into  a  thick 
felt,  which  covered  the  shoulders,  and  extended  as  low  upon 
the  back  as  the  shoulder-blade.  Much  of  this  hair  wras 
borrowed,  and  they  were  not  particular  as  to  the  source  from 
whence  it  was  received.  Sometimes  this  head-dress  was  further 
plastered  and  dressed  with  bluish  clay  and  pipe-clay.  The 
people  of  Lira  were  at  this  time  fighting  with  their  neighbours 
the  Langgos — those  of  Shooa  with  the  natives  of  Fatiko.     The 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  71 

Khartoum  traders  had,  of  course,  taken  advantage  of  this 
general  discord  to  advance  their  own  interests.  The  two 
leaders  of  the  rival  traders'  parties — Ibrahim  and  Mahommed 
Wat-el-Mek— had  joined  themselves  with  the  contending  tribes, 
and  so  for  miles  around  Shooa  there  was  but  a  blackened 
wilderness ;  thousands  of  cattle  had  been  driven  off,  and  the 
natives  had  fled  either  to  the  hills  or  to  other  countries.  The 
natives  had  been  so  spoilt,  too,  by  the  payment  in  cows  instead 
of  in  beads,  that  they  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  act  as 
porters  to  Gondokoro  under  a  payment  of  four  cows  each.  Thus, 
according  to  what  was  required  by  the  Turks,  one  thousand 
men  were  needed,  for  whom  a  payment  of  four  thousand  cows 
would  be  necessary.  This  led  to  extreme  and  violent  measures 
on  the  part  of  the  Turks,  especially  on  the  part  of  Debono's 
people,  who  were  situated  about  twenty-five  miles  distant. 
The  tribes  combined  to  thwart  them,  and  refused  to  carry 
their  ivory  to  Gondokoro.  The  chief  of  Faloro,  by  name 
Werdella,  declared  open  war  against  them,  drove  off  their 
cattle,  and  retreating  to  the  mountains,  challenged  them  to 
rescue  them. 

*  During  the  absence  of  the  traders'  party  upon  various 
expeditions/  Baker  further  says,  'about  fifty  men  were  left 
in  their  camp  as  headquarters.  Nothing  could  exceed  the 
brutality  of  the  people.  They  had  erected  stills,  and  produced 
a  powerful  corn  spirit  from  the  native  mirissa;  their  entire 
time  was  passed  in  gambling,  drinking,  and  fighting,  both  by 
night  and  day.  The  natives  were  ill-treated,  their  female 
slaves  and  children  brutally  ill-used,  and  the  entire  camp  was  a 
mere  slice  from  the  infernal  regions.  My  portion  of  the  camp 
being  a  secluded  courtyard,  we  were  fortunately  independent.' 
Baker  used   his   influence  against  the  atrocities  which  were 


72  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

being  continually  committed,  and  explained  to  the  Turks  that 
he  would  use  force  to  prevent  such  acts,  and  that  he  would 
report  the  names  of  all  those  to  the  Egyptian  authorities  who 
should  commit  any  murder  that  he  could  prove.  At  this  time 
he  had  gained  an  extraordinary  influence  over  the  people, 
enabling  him  to  exert  such  authority  as  saved  the  lives  of  many 
unfortunate  creatures  who  would  have  perished  but  for  his 
intervention.  Baker's  shooting  at  Shooa  was  mostly  confined 
to  the  antelope ;  whenever  an  animal  was  shot,  the  natives 
always  cut  its  throat  and  drank  the  hot  blood  as  it  gushed 
from  the  artery.  In  the  rambles  in  search  of  game,  he  recog- 
nised two  kinds  of  cotton  indigenous  to  the  country — one  with 
a  yellow  blossom,  which  proved  comparatively  worthless ;  the 
other  with  a  red  blossom,  producing  a  fine  quality,  easily 
detachable  from  the  seeds. 

In  the  month  of  February  1865,  Baker  and  his  party,  with 
the  traders'  company,  left  Shooa  for  Gondokoro.  The  camp 
was  full  of  ivory ;  the  total  results  of  the  ivory  campaign  for 
the  last  two  months  had  yielded  upwards  of  32,000  lbs.,  equal 
to  about  ^9630  when  delivered  in  Egypt.  The  largest  portion 
of  Ibrahim's  immense  store  of  ivory  had  been  given  to  him  by 
Kamrasi.  Baker  had  guaranteed  him  10,000  lbs.  of  ivory 
should  he  quit  Obbo  and  go  southwards  with  him,  and  he  had 
received  more  than  three  times  that  amount.  It  was  a  trial  to 
part  with  several  of  the  slave  children,  to  whom  they  had 
grown  attached.  The  road  for  several  days  was  through 
beautiful  park-like  lands,  arriving  at  the  point  of  junction 
between  the  Un-y-Ame  and  the  Nile.  About  three  miles  from 
this  point  of  junction  between  these  rivers  stood  a  tamarind 
tree,  which  was,  up  till  the  date  of  Baker's  expedition,  the 
farthest   southern   limit   previously   reached   by  any  traveller 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  73 

from  the  north.  Here  Signor  Miani's  expedition  had  been 
obliged  to  halt,  being  deceived  by  his  escort,  which  had  refused 
to  proceed  farther.  Travelling  onwards,  from  a  rocky  height 
about  800  feet  high,  they  could  discern  the  course  of  the  Nile 
from  w.s.w.  for  about  twenty  miles  winding  through  marshy 
ground.  The  country  opposite  to  where  they  stood  was 
Koshi,  which  formed  the  west  bank  of  the  Nile,  extending  the 
whole  way  to  the  Albert  lake.  The  country  they  occupied  at 
the  time  was  Madi,  which  extended  as  the  east  bank  of  the 
Nile  to  the  angle  of  the  Victoria  Nile  junction,  opposite 
Magungo.  Opposite  the  summit  of  the  pass  from  which 
they  scanned  the  country,  rose  Gebel  Kookoo,  2500  feet 
high,  a  prominent  feature  in  the  chain  of  mountains  bordering 
the  west  bank,  until  within  thirty  miles  of  Gondokoro.  The 
mouth  of  the  Un-y-Ame'  is  the  navigable  limit  of  the  river 
from  the  Albert  lake. 

Baker  was  now  on  the  track  by  which  Speke  and  Grant 
returned.  The  Nile,  entering  the  valley  between  Gebel 
Kookoo  and  the  western  range,  is  obstructed  in  its  course  by 
numerous  rocky  islets,  and  mud  banks  covered  with  papyrus 
rush,  causing  the  stream  to  widen  out  to  about  a  mile. 
Below  this  spot  a  short  distance  the  channel  rapidly  con- 
tracted, becoming  a  roaring  torrent  in  its  passage  through  a 
narrow  gorge.  Still  following  the  Nile  banks,  several  water- 
falls were  seen,  *  through  which  for  many  miles  the  angry 
Nile  chafed  and  roared  like  a  lion  in  its  confined  den.'  On 
crossing  the  Asua  river,  they  became  aware  that  they  had 
entered  the  territory  of  the  hostile  Bari  tribe.  The  route  led 
over  a  fine  country  on  a  line  with  the  Nile,  with  a  rock-bound 
channel  to  the  west  oi  the  march.  In  passing  through  a 
gorge  between  low  rocky  hill?,  they  were  attacked  by  a  party 


74  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

of  the  Bari  tribe,  who  discharged  poisoned  arrows  at  them. 
The  natives  were  easily  kept  at  bay,  however,  and  they 
encamped  in  safety  in  an  open  clearing  beyond.  The  next 
day  they  were  followed  again  by  the  natives,  who  only  waited 
an  opportunity  to  attack  them.  In  the  evening  they  occu- 
pied two  small  deserted  villages.  Here  a  night  attack  was 
made  by  the  natives,  and  poisoned  arrows  were  thrown  into 
the  camp,  but  the  affair  ended  when  one  of  the  men  was 
shot  by  a  sentry.  Marching  fifteen  miles  a  day  from  this 
point,  the  mountains  around  Gondokoro,  familiar  to  him 
when  starting  two  years  previously,  now  dawned  upon  him. 
Resting  within  three  miles  of  Gondokoro,  that  night  was  full 
of  speculations  as  to  whether  there  would  be  a  boat  waiting 
for  him  with  letters  and  supplies.  Money  had  been  left 
with  an  agent  at  Khartoum  for  this  purpose.  Next  morning, 
starting  ahead  of  Ibrahim  and  his  party,  the  English  flag 
leading  the  way,  his  men  cheering  and  firing  salutes,  they 
were  met  by  a  party  of  the  Turks  from  Gondokoro.  Much 
to  his  disappointment,  neither  boats,  supplies,  nor  letters 
awaited  Baker.  He  had  long  since  been  given  up  as  dead 
by  the  inhabitants  of  Khartoum.  Others  suggested  that  he 
might  have  gone  to  Zanzibar,  but  the  prevalent  opinion  was 
that  he  was  killed.  'At  this  cold  and  barren  reply,'  writes 
Baker,  1 1  felt  almost  choked.  We  had  looked  forward  to 
arriving  at  Gondokoro  as  to  a  home ;  we  had  expected  that 
a  boat  would  have  been  sent  on  the  chance  of  finding  us,  as 
I  had  left  money  in  the  hands  of  an  agent  in  Khartoum ; 
but  there  was  literally  nothing  to  receive  us,  and  we  were 
helpless  to  return.  We  had  worked  for  years  in  misery,  such 
as  I  have  but  faintly  described,  to  overcome  the  difficulties 
of    this    hitherto   unconquerable   exploration  ;    we   had   sue- 


SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER.  75 


ceeded,  and  what  was  the  result?  Not  even  a  letter  from 
home  to  welcome  us  if  alive !  As  I  sat  beneath  a  tree,  and 
looked  down  upon  the  glorious  Nile  that  flowed  a  few  yards 
beneath  my  feet,  I  pondered  upon  the  value  of  my  toil. 
I  had  traced  the  river  to  its  great  Albert  source,  and  as  the 
mighty  stream  glided  before  me,  the  mystery  that  had  ever 
shrouded  its  origin  was  dissolved.  I  no  longer  looked  upon 
its  waters  with  a  feeling  approaching  to  awe,  for  I  knew  its 
home,  and  had  visited  its  cradle.  Had  I  overrated  the 
importance  of  the  discovery?  and  had  I  wasted  some  of 
the  best  years  of  my  life  to  obtain  a  shadow?  I  re- 
called to  recollection  the  practical  question  of  Commoro, 
the  chief  of  Latooka,  "Suppose  you  get  to  the  great 
lake,  what  will  you  do  with  it?  What  will  be  the  good  of 
it  ?  If  you  find  that  the  large  river  does  flow  from  it,  what 
then?'" 

The  news  which  had  already  come  from  Khartoum  was 
neither  bright  nor  reassuring.  The  different  trading  parties 
now  arrived  in  Gondokoro  had  with  them  upwards  of  three 
thousand  slaves.  The  message  regarding  these  was  to  the 
effect  that  the  Egyptian  authorities  had  received  orders  from 
the  European  powers  to  stop  the  slave  trade.  Four  vessels 
had  arrived  at  Khartoum  from  Cairo ;  two  of  them  had 
ascended  the  White  Nile,  and  had  captured  many  slavers. 
Their  crews  had  been  imprisoned,  and  subjected  to  the 
bastinado  and  torture.  An  Egyptian  regiment  had  been 
stationed  in  the  Shillook  country ;  steamers  were  cruising  to 
intercept  any  boats  from  the  interior  in  their  descent  to 
Khartoum.  The  plague  was  also  raging  at  Khartoum;  15,000 
people  had  fallen  victims  to  its  ravages.  The  White  Nile,  by 
a  freak  of  nature,  was  dammed  up ;  and  the  crews  of  several 


76  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

vessels   were    occupied    in    endeavouring    to    cut    a    passage 
through  the  obstruction. 

The  discomfiture  of  the  traders  at  this  news  was  very  great, 
and  they  were  prepared  for  flight  into  the  interior.  Baker 
secured  a  boat  from  one  of  the  traders  for  ^40,  and  arranged 
to  leave  at  once,  after  cleansing  his  vessel  as  thoroughly  as 
possible,  several  persons  having  died  of  the  plague  within  it 
in  the  journey  from  Khartoum.  Baker  had  secured  great 
influence  over  these  traders,  as  the  greater  part  of  what  he  had 
promised  had  been  performed,  and  most  of  his  predictions  had 
been  realized.  He  also  received  the  credit  of  the  present 
interference  in  the  slave  traffic  by  having  written  to  the 
Consul-General  of  Egypt  in  1863.  They  were  completely 
cowed,  however,  and  made  no  attempt  at  retaliation.  Indeed, 
much  of  their  good  luck  in  ivory-hunting  was  credited  to  him ; 
disaster  had  befallen  all  who  had  been  against  him.  Crowds 
lined  the  cliff  and  the  high  ground  as  they  bade  good-bye  to 
the  station,  with  the  English  flag  flying  at  the  mast-head. 
Grateful  to  Divine  Providence  that  had  so  shielded  and  pro- 
tected them,  they  glided  down  the  current  of  the  Nile,  past 
the  endless  marshes,  with  hearts  less  full  of  triumph  than  of 
calm  content.  There  was  now  ample  leisure  to  write  letters 
to  England,  to  be  posted  at  Khartoum ;  and  one  of  the 
pleasures  awaiting  him  was  the  meeting  with  Captain  Speke, 
when  he  could  explain  how  completely  he  had  accomplished 
the  task  which  he  had  undertaken.  Baker  has  thus  sum- 
marized his  discoveries  up  till  that  time. 

*  The  Nile/  he  writes,  '  cleared  of  its  mystery,  resolves  itself 
into  comparative  simplicity.  The  actual  basin  of  the  Nile  is 
included  between  about  220  and  390  east  longitude,  and  from 
30  south  to   1 8°  north  latitude.     The  drainage  of  that  vast 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  77 

area  is  monopolized  by  the  Egyptian  river.  The  Victoria  and 
Albert  lakes,  the  two  great  equatorial  reservoirs,  are  the 
recipients  of  all  affluents  south  of  the  equator,  the  Albert 
lake  being  the  grand  reservoir  in  which  are  concentrated  the 
entire  waters  from  the  south,  in  addition  to  tributaries  from  the 
Blue  Mountains  from  the  north  of  the  equator.  The  Albert 
Nyanza  is  the  great  basin  of  the  Nile.  The  distinction 
between  that  and  the  Victoria  Nyanza  is  that  the  Victoria 
is  a  reservoir  receiving  the  eastern  affluents,  and  it  becomes  a 
starting-point,  or  the  most  elevated  source  at  the  point  where  ^ 
the  river  issues  from  it  at  the  Ripon  Falls;  the  Albert  is  a 
reservoir  not  only  receiving  the  western  and  southern  affluents 
direct  from  the  Blue  Mountains,  but  it  also  receives  the  supply 
from  the  Victoria  and  from  the  entire  equatorial  Nile  basin. 
The  Nile,  as  it  issues  from  the  Albert  Nyanza,  is  the  entire 
Nile ;  prior  to  its  birth  from  the  Albert  lake,  it  is  not  the  entire 
Nile.  A  glance  at  the  map  will  at  once  exemplify  the  relative 
value  of  the  two  great  lakes.  The  Victoria  gathers  all  the 
waters  on  the  eastern  side  and  sheds  them  into  the  northern 
extremity  of  the  Albert;  while  the  latter,  from  its  character 
and  position,  is  the  direct  channel  of  the  Nile  that  receives  all 
waters  that  belong  to  the  equatorial  Nile  basin.  Thus  the 
Victoria  is  the  first  source;  but  from  the  Albert  the  river 
issues  at  once  as  the  great  White  Nile.'  Thus  Baker  finished 
the  discoveries  made  by  Speke  and  Grant.  These  travellers 
had  traced  the  country  from  Zanzibar  to  the  northern  water- 
shed of  Africa.  They  settled  that  the  Ripon  Falls,  flowing 
from  the  Victoria  Nyanza,  were  the  highest  source  of  the 
Nile.  They  traced  the  course  of  the  river  to  Karuma  Falls, 
and  again  met  the  Nile  in  lat.  30  32'  n.  They  were  told  that 
it  flowed  into   the  Luta  N'Zige,  or  Albert  Nyanza;  but  it 


78  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

remained  for  Baker  to  describe  and  verify  this  supposition,  as 
he  has  so  ably  done.  The  rainfall,  to  within  30  north  of  the 
equator,  extends  over  ten  months,  beginning  in  February  and 
terminating  in  the  end  of  November.  The  heaviest  rains  fall 
from  April  to  the  end  of  August ;  during  the  last  two  months 
of  this  season  the  rivers  are  at  their  largest.  The  rivers  are 
thus  kept  constant  throughout  the  year ;  the  Albert  lake 
continues  at  a  high  level,  yielding  a  steady  volume  to  the 
Nile.  The  geological  formation  of  Central  Africa  shows  an 
altitude  of  4000  feet  above  the  sea  level,  with  no  indication 
amongst  its  prevailing  granitic  and  sandstone  rocks  that  it  has 
ever  been  submerged,  or  subjected  to  any  sea  change. 

Khartoum  was  reached  on  the  5th  May  1865,  when  he 
received  a  welcome  from  the  entire  European  population  on 
the  following  morning.  Sad  to  relate,  his  faithful  boy  Saat 
had  died  of  the  plague  on  the  river.  Another  sad  event  was 
the  death  of  Captain  Speke,  the  tidings  of  which  he  had  just 
now  heard.  The  Blue  Nile  was  now  so  low  that  they  could 
not  descend.  The  camels  used  in  land  transport  were  also 
dead.  Two  months  of  waiting  had  therefore  to  be  undergone 
in  Khartoum,  subject  to  the  intense  heat  and  constant  dust- 
storms. 

The  measures  taken  by  the  European  powers  for  the  sup- 
pression of  the  slave  traffic  led  to  the  capture  of  two  vessels 
laden  with  850  human  beings,  packed  together,  as  Baker 
relates,  like  anchovies,  the  living  and  the  dying  festering 
together,  and  the  dead  lying  beneath  them.  *  European  eye- 
witnesses,' he  writes,  '  assured  me  that  the  disembarking  of 
this  frightful  cargo  could  not  be  adequately  described.  The 
slaves  were  in  a  state  of  starvation,  having  had  nothing  to  eat 
for  several  days.     They  were  landed  in  Khartoum ;  the  dead, 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  79 

and  many  of  the  dying,  were  tied  by  the  ankles,  and  dragged 
along  the  ground  by  donkeys  through  the  streets.  The  most 
malignant  typhus,  or  plague,  had  been  engendered  among  this 
mass  of  filth  and  misery,  thus  closely  packed  together.  Upon 
landing,  the  women  were  divided  by  the  Egyptian  authorities 
among  the  soldiers.  These  creatures  brought  the  plague  to 
Khartoum,  which,  like  a  curse  visited  upon  this  country  of 
slavery  and  abomination,  spread  like  a  fire  throughout  the 
town,  and  consumed  the  regiments  that  had  received  this 
horrible  legacy  from  the  dying  cargo  of  slaves.*  While  staying 
in  the  town,  Baker  discovered  Mahommed  Her,  the  headman 
of  Chenooda's  party,  who  had  incited  his  men  to  mutiny, 
and  had  taken  the  deserters  into  his  employ.  He  had  him 
arrested  and  brought  before  the  Divan,  when  Mahommed  was 
sentenced  to  be  flogged. 

On  1  st  July  they  left  Khartoum  for  Berber.  They  had  a 
narrow  escape  from  shipwreck  in  the  cataracts  of  the  Nile  ; 
but  Berber  was  reached  in  safety,  when  Baker  received  a 
warm  welcome  from  a  French  gentleman  and  his  wife,  who 
had  been  resident  for  many  years  in  the  Soudan.  From 
thence  they  took  the  route  overland  to  Souakim,  a  consider- 
able town  on  the  Red  Sea,  where  the  houses  are  all  built  of 
coral.  From  this  place  they  made  the  voyage  in  five  days  to 
Suez.  Letters  awaited  him  at  the  British  Consulate,  one  of 
which  informed  him  that  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  had 
awarded  him  the  Victoria  Gold  Medal  for  his  exertions. 
This  was  all  the  more  gratifying,  as  it  was  bestowed  before 
they  had  become  aware  of  the  success  of  the  expedition. 

Having  introduced  his  faithful  black  servant  Richarn 
to  a  comfortable  situation  in  a  hotel  in  Suez,  the  journey 
ended.       '  The    past,'   he   writes,    ( appeared   like   a   dream : 


8o 


FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


the  rushing  sound  of  the  train  renewed  ideas  of  civilisation. 
Had  I  really  come  from  the  Nile  sources?  It  was  no 
dream.  A  witness  sat  before  me :  a  face  still  young,  but 
bronzed  like  an  Arab  with  years  of  exposure  to  a  burning 
sun;  haggard  and  worn  with  toil  and  sickness,  and  shaded 
with  cares  happily  now  past ;  the  devoted  companion  of  my 
pilgrimage,  to  whom  I  owed  success  and  life — my  wife.' 


SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER,  M.A.,  F.R.G.S. 

Part  II. 

Expedition  to  Central  Africa  for  the  Suppression  of  the  Slave  Trade  under 

Ismail,  Khedive  of  Egypt. 


[T  has  not  unfrequently  happened  in  the  case  of 
the  individual,  some  special  training  gone  through, 
or  some  special  experience,  has  been  a  prepara- 
tion for  higher  and  more  useful  work.  A  door  of  usefulness 
opens  to  him  who  is  prepared  and  ready  to  enter  it.  The 
explorations  of  Sir  Samuel  White  Baker  at  the  Nile  sources 
had  given  him  a  useful  experience,  which  was  to  be  utilized 
in  an  important  expedition  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave 
trade;  and  although  this  expedition  may  not  have  been  so 
fruitful  in  results  as  was  expected,  yet  he  has  laid  bare  a 
great  tract  of  country  hitherto  imperfectly  known.  Baker, 
from  what  he  knew  and  had  personally  seen  of  the  odious 
slave  traffic,  concluded  that  until  this  blighting  scourge  was 
removed,  true  prosperity  and  commercial  enterprise  was 
impossible  in  Central  Africa. 

So   emphatic   are  the   horrors   of  the   traffic,    that   to   the 
country   subjected   to   them   he   uses   the   one    strong  word 


ruin. 


Those  engaged  in  the  traffic  were  for  the  most  part 
Arabs,  and  subjects  of  the  Egyptian  Government.     Deserting 

III.  F 


82  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

their  agricultural  employments  in  the  Soudan,  they  united  them- 
selves into  companies  in  the  pay  of  different  merchants  of 
Khartoum.  It  was  computed,  before  the  expedition  was 
determined  upon,  that  about  15,000  of  the  subjects  of  the 
Khedive  of  Egypt  were  engaged  in  the  ivory  trade  and  slave- 
hunting  on  the  White  Nile.  At  a  moderate  calculation,  fifty 
thousand  slaves  were  drawn  from  Central  Africa  by  way  of 
the  White  Nile  annually.  While  travelling  in  Egypt  in 
company  with  their  Royal  Highnesses  the  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Wales,  the  Khedive  at  that  time  determined 
to  strike  a  blow  at  the  slave  trade  of  the  White  Nile.  Sir 
Samuel  Baker  was  appealed  to  in  order  to  sketch  out  a  plan 
for  the  proposed  expedition  to  Central  Africa,  and  in  due 
time  he  was  placed  in  full  command  of  it  by  the  issue  of 
a  firman  from  Ismail  the  Khedive.  Its  chief  provisions  were 
as  follows : — 

*  To  subdue  to  our  authority  the  countries  situated  to  the 
south  of  Gondokoro ; 

i  To  suppress  the  slave  trade ;  to  introduce  a  system  of 
regular  commerce ; 

4  To  open  to  navigation  the  great  lakes  of  the  equator ; 

'  And  to  establish  a  chain  of  military  stations  and  com- 
mercial depots,  distant  at  intervals  of  three  days'  march, 
throughout  Central  Africa,  accepting  Gondokoro  as  the  base 
of  operations. 

■  The  supreme  command  of  this  expedition  is  confided  to 
Sir  Samuel  White  Baker  for  four  years,  commencing  from 
1  st  April  1869  ;  on  whom  also  we  confer  the  most  absolute 
and  supreme  power,  even  that  of  death,  over  all  those  who 
may  compose  the  expedition. 

We   confer  upon  him  the  same  absolute  and  supreme 


SIJ?  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  83 

authority  over  all  those  countries  belonging  to  the  Nile  basin 
south  of  Gondokoro.' 

The  purpose  of  the  expedition  was,  as  may  be  supposed, 
looked  upon  with  suspicion  and  dislike  by  the  interested 
classes  in  Egypt.  The  sons  of  the  Khedive  and  his  two 
ministers,  Nubar  Pasha  and  Cherif  Pasha  (an  Armenian 
and  a  Circassian),  gave  him  their  firm  support.  Having 
received  full  powers,  Baker  gave  orders  that  the  following 
vessels  be  fitted  up  with  engines  of  the  best  construction, 
which  were  to  be  carried  across  the  Nubian  desert  in  plates 
and  sections  : — 

No.  1.  A  paddle  steamer  of  251  tons,  32  horse-power. 

No.  2.  A  twin-screw  high  -  pressure  steamer  of  20  horse- 
power, 108  tons. 

No.  3.  A  twin-screw  high  -  pressure  steamer  of  10  horse- 
power, 38  tons. 

Nos.  4  and  5.  Two  steel  lifeboats,  each  30  feet  by  9  =  10 
tons  each. 

For  the  success  of  such  an  expedition,  the  utmost  care  and 
thoughtfulness  was  required  in  the  preparation  for  the  enter- 
prise. Here  his  former  African  experience  proved  invaluable. 
Besides  himself  and  Lady  Baker,  the  English  party  were : 
Lieutenant  Julian  Alleyne  Baker,  R.N.  ;  Mr.  Edwin  Higgin- 
botham,  civil  engineer;  Mr.  Wood,  secretary;  Dr.  Joseph 
Gedge,  physician ;  Mr.  Marcopolo,  chief  storekeeper  and 
interpreter ;  Mr.  M 'William,  chief  engineer  of  steamers ;  Mr. 
Jarvis,  chief  shipwright ;  with  other  shipwrights,  boilermaker, 
and  two  servants.  About  ^9000  was  spent  in  providing  stores 
for  four  years.  Four  galvanized  iron  magazines,  each  eighty 
feet  long  by  twenty  in  width,  were  provided  in  order  to  protect 
the  materials  necessary  for  the  expedition ;  these  were  of  the 


84  FA  MO  US  TRA  FELLERS. 

most  miscellaneous,  but  at  the  same  time  perfect  description. 
The  magazines,  he  declared,  could  produce  anything,  from  a 
needle  to  a  crowbar,  or  from  a  handkerchief  to  a  boat's  sail. 
The  supplies  from    England   had   indeed   been   so  carefully 
arranged  that  scarcely  a  want  was  felt   on   the  journey  but 
could  be  supplied.     Various  delays  were   experienced  before 
the  expedition  was  arranged  to  start  in  three  divisions.     Thirty- 
six  vessels,  including  six  steamers,  were  to  ascend  the  cataracts 
of    the    Nile    to     Khartoum,    conveying    the    merchandise. 
Twenty-five   vessels  were   to   be   ready,   together   with   three 
steamers,  by  the  time  this  fleet  should  arrive.     There  was  also 
to  be  a  desert  transport  from  Korosko  to  Khartoum,  under 
the  charge   of  the   chief  engineer.       Baker   himself  was   to 
bring  up  the  rear,  by  way  of  Souakim  on  the  Red  Sea,  to 
Berber.     The  military  force  under  command  comprised  1645 
troops,  including  a  corps  of  200  irregular  cavalry,  and  two 
batteries  of  artillery.     The  ammunition  and  other  perishable 
goods  were  well  packed     Medicines  and  drugs  were  on  hand 
of  the  best  quality. 

Sir  Samuel  White  Baker,  bringing  up  the  rear  of  the 
expedition,  left  Suez  on  5th  December  1869,  reaching  Khar- 
toum in  the  short  space  of  thirty-two  days,  including  stoppages. 
While  there  was  no  external  change  in  Khartoum,  yet  the 
district  between  that  town  and  Berber  bore  unmistakeable 
marks  of  neglect.  The  river's  bank,  formerly  so  highly  culti- 
vated, was  now  a  wilderness.  Oppression  had  driven  the 
inhabitants  from  the  soil.  *  This  terrible  desolation,'  writes 
Baker,  *  was  caused  by  the  Governor-General  of  the  Soudan, 
who,  although  himself  an  honest  man,  trusted  too  much  to 
the  honesty  of  others,  who  preyed  upon  the  inhabitants. 
As  a  good  and  true  Mohammedan,  he  left   his  territory  to 


SIX  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  85 

the  sole  care  of  God ;  and  thus,  trusting  in  Providence,  he 
simply  increased  the  taxes.  In  one  year  he  sent  to  the 
Khedive,  his  master,  ;£  100,000  in  hard  dollars,  wrung  from 
the  poor  peasantry,  who  must  have  lost  an  equal  amount  in 
the  pillage  that  accompanies  the  collection. '  The  result 
had  been  that  those  who  had  thus  been  overtaxed  and 
plundered  had  betaken  themselves  to  plunder  others,  in  carry- 
ing out  the  system  of  brigandage  on  the  White  Nile  which 
Baker's  expedition  was  intended  to  suppress. 

The  transport  vessels  which  were  ordered  to  be  ready  at 
Khartoum  were  found  to  be  awanting,  much  to  the  chagrin 
of  the  chief  of  the  expedition  j  the  Governor-General  giving 
as  a  reason  that  it  was  impossible  to  procure  the  number  of 
vessels  required,  and  as  he  had  purchased  a  house  for  Baker, 
he  trusted  that  he  would  not  start  until  the  following  season. 
Baker,  however,  insisted  on  the  purchase  of  vessels,  and  in 
a  few  weeks  thirty-three  vessels  were  caulked,  rigged,  and 
ready  for  the  voyage  of  1450  miles  to  Gondokoro.  Only 
part  of  the  force  of  troops  could,  however,  be  taken  at  this 
time ;  the  remainder  were  to  be  sent  on  Mr.  Higginbotham's 
arrival.  The  cavalry,  on  being  reviewed,  were  left  behind  as 
useless. 

The  flotilla,  consisting  of  two  steamers  and  thirty-one 
sailing  vessels,  with  a  military  force  of  about  eight  hundred  men, 
at  length  left  Khartoum  on  the  8th  February  1870.  Drop- 
ping down  the  Blue  Nile,  they  at  length  steamed  up  the 
White  Nile,  fairly  under  weigh,  after  one  month  had 
been  wasted  in  preparation.  The  news  had  reached  him 
by  this  time  that  Mr.  Higginbotham  had  arrived  with 
the  steel  steamers  for  the  Albert  Nyanza.  The  following 
entry  occurs  in  his  journal  of  8th   February : — *  The   usual 


S6  FA  MOO'S  TRAVELLERS, 

Egyptian  delays  have  entirely  thwarted  my  plans.     No  vessels 
have  arrived  from  Cairo,  as  they  only  started  on  29th  August. 
Thus,  rather  than  turn  back,  I  start  with  a  mutilated  expedi- 
tion, without  a  single  transport  arrival.'     In  a  hundred  and 
three  hours  and  ten  minutes'  steaming,  Fashooda  was  reached, 
being  618   miles   by   river  from   Khartoum.      This   fortified 
town   was   garrisoned   by   a   regiment   of    Egyptian   soldiers, 
under   the  command  of  Ali   Bey,    a   Kurd.      The   governor 
reported  that  his  country  was  in  excellent  order,  as  he  had 
received   instructions   from    the   Khedive    to    exert    himself 
against  the   slave  trade.     A  month's   rations  were    taken   in 
here,  and  starting  again,  the  junction  of  the  Sobat  was  reached 
on  1 6th  February.     The  Sobat  supplies  a  large  and  powerful 
volume   of  water  to  the  White  Nile.     Passing  this  junction, 
the  character  of  the  river  changes,  as  the  traveller  now  enters 
upon   a  region   of  immense   flats    and    boundless    marshes. 
They   reached   the  junction   of  the   Bahr   Giraffe    on    17th 
February,  and  waited  here  for  the  arrival  of  the  fleet.     That 
river  was  to  be  their  new  passage  instead  of  the  White  Nile, 
but  it  was  curiously  obstructed  by  masses  of  vegetation.     The 
whole  river  had  become  a  marsh,  beneath   which   the  river 
oozed  through  innumerable  channels.     Sport  was  not  entirely 
forgotten,  as  up  to  this  time  Baker  had  killed  a  hippopotamus, 
two  crocodiles,  two  pelicans,  and  twenty-two  ducks  with  the 
rifle.     The  Bahr  Giraffe  proved  to  be  very  deep,  averaging 
about  nineteen  feet,  winding  through  a  perfectly  flat  prairie 
country,    diversified   with    forest.      The    mosquitoes   proved 
terribly   troublesome   to   every   one.      Occasionally  the  river 
would  be  choked  by  drift  vegetation,  when  all  hands  had  to 
clear  a  passage  through  the  obstructions. 

On  1st  March  the  whole  fleet  was  forced  to  come  to  a  dead 


S/J?  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  87 

stop,  as  the  river,  although  fourteen  feet  immediately  before, 
had  entirely  disappeared  in  a  sea  of  high  grass.  After  some 
delay,  thirty  vessels  were  ordered  to  form  in  line,  single 
file,  and  cut  a  pathway  through  the  morass.  Seven  hundred 
men  were  at  work  on  9th  March,  slashing  through  the 
vegetation  with  swords  and  knives,  and  pulling  out  the  rub- 
bish, which  they  piled  up  on  either  side.  Fish  were  caught 
in  the  marshy  river,  and  a  hippopotamus  was  shot  with  an 
explosive  shell  from  a  rifle ;  the  shell  was  an  invention  of 
Sir  Samuel's.  By  21st  March  they  had  cut  away  six  miles 
of  vegetation,  but  they  had  been  hard  at  work  for  thirteen 
days  with  a  thousand  men,  and  they  had  only  made  twelve 
miles.  The  hard  work  and  the  smell  from  the  rotting 
vegetation  and  the  stinking  morass  laid  many  of  them  aside 
with  fever.  On  26th  March,  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  were 
on  the  sick  list,  and  a  despairing  feeling  began  to  possess 
the  most  of  them.  This  hopeless  navigation  amongst  grass 
and  water-weeds  was  continued  until  the  end  of  the  month.  At 
the  beginning  of  April  the  task  became  more  hopeless,  and 
it  became  apparent  that  the  passage  could  only  be  made  at 
the  end  of  December,  when  the  river  was  full.  On  2d  April, 
a  further  attempt  at  advance  was  found  to  be  absurd,  and 
accordingly,  Baker  determined  to  return  to  the  Shillock 
country  and  found  a  station.  A  start  might  probably  be 
made  with  the  entire  force  about  the  end  of  November. 
The  order  to  return  was  therefore  given  at  once,  the  officers 
and  men  concluding  that  this  would  probably  terminate  the 
expedition.  To  vary  the  monotony  of  the  voyage,  Baker 
enjoyed  some  good  sport  in  the  downward  passage,  killing 
the  antelope,  hippopotamus,  crocodile,  some  geese,  and  ducks. 
Arriving  at  the  station  of  Kutchuk  Ali  on  13th  April,  Baker 


88  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

sent  for  his  agent  and  explained  to  him  the  object  of  his 
mission,  and  recommended  him  not  to  send  cargoes  of  slaves 
down  to  Khartoum,  as  he  had  done  in  previous  years.  They 
arrived  at  the  White  Nile  on  19th  April,  when  they  discovered 
three  vessels  belonging  to  the  Governor  of  Fashooda,  Ali  Bey, 
the  Koordi.  Although  he  had  disclaimed  all  connection  with 
the  slave  trade  to  Baker  in  the  upward  journey,  he  was  dis- 
covered now  to  have  on  hand  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  slaves. 
Of  these,  seventy-one  were  concealed  in  the  boat,  and  eighty- 
four  were  on  shore  guarded  by  sentries.  It  was  discovered 
also  that  he  made  a  considerable  fortune  by  levying  toll  upon 
every  slave  brought  down  the  river.  This  amount  he  pocketed 
himself.  In  the  blandest  manner  possible,  Ali  Bey  had 
endeavoured  to  throw  dust  in  the  eyes  of  those  connected  with 
the  expedition ;  but  this  was  found  to  be  impossible.  He 
admitted  that  he  was  collecting  the  taxes,  and  that  these 
slaves  were  only  held  as  hostages  until  they  should  pay  their 
taxes.  Many  of  the  slave  women  were  secured  to  each  other 
by  ropes  passed  from  neck  to  neck ;  and  a  crowd  of  children, 
including  very  young  infants,  were  squatted  amongst  the  mass. 
Baker  insisted  on  the  liberation  of  every  slave,  adding  that  he 
would  report  the  conduct  of  Ali  Bey  to  the  Khedive,  from 
whom  he  had  his  authority.  Eleven  vessels  in  full  sail  arrived 
while  these  negotiations  were  pending;  it  turned  out  to  be 
that  section  of  the  expedition  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Higgin- 
botham.  They  were  all  in  good  health,  and,  in  company 
with  Lieutenant  Baker  and  Mr.  Higginbotham,  a  visit  was  paid 
to  the  camp  of  Ali  Bey.  *I  ordered,'  he  writes,  'the  ropes, 
irons,  and  other  accompaniments  of  slavery  to  be  detached ; 
and  I  explained,  through  an  interpreter,  to  the  astonished 
crowd  of  captives,  that  the  Khedive  had  abolished  slavery, 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  89 


therefore  they  were  at  liberty  to  return  to  their  own  homes. 
At  first  they  appeared  astounded,  and  evidently  could  not 
realize  the  fact ;  but  upon  my  asking  them  where  their  homes 
were,  they  pointed  to  the  boundless  rows  of  villages  in  the 
distance,  and  said,  "  These  are  our  homes ;  but  many  of  our 
men  are  killed,  and  all  our  cattle  and  corn  are  carried  off."  I 
could  only  advise  them  to  pack  off  as  quickly  as  possible,  now 
that  they  had  the  chance  of  freedom.  The  women  immedi- 
ately took  up  their  little  infants  (one  had  been  born  during  the 
night),  others  led  the  very  small  children  by  the  hand,  and, 
with  a  general  concert,  they  burst  into  the  long,  quavering, 
and  shrill  yell  that  denotes  rejoicing.  I  watched  them  as  they 
retreated  over  the  plain  to  their  deserted  homes,  and  I  took  a 
coldly-polite  farewell  of  the  Koordi.' 

Continuing  the  voyage,  a  suitable  spot  of  ground  was  chosen 
on  the  banks  of  the  White  Nile  on  which  to  prepare  a  station, 
where  they  might  remain  until  the  Nile  was  navigable.  The 
place  was  named  Tewfikeeyah,  after  the  Khedive's  eldest  son, 
Mahomed  Tewfik  Pasha.  The  place  rapidly  assumed  a 
civilised  aspect ;  the  engineers  and  carpenters  were  soon  busy 
at  work.  The  ground  was  well  drained.  A  quay  about  500 
yards  in  length  was  constructed  on  the  banks  of  the  river, 
where  the  whole  fleet  could  lie,  or  embark  and  disembark 
their  cargoes.  Stables  were  made  for  the  horses  and  donkeys. 
The  three  magazines  of  galvanized  iron,  about  80  feet  in 
length,  were  completed,  and  the  stores  from  the  vessels  were 
lodged  within  them.  Rats  came  in  thousands,  attracted  by 
the  corn,  rice,  and  other  eatables ;  these,  with  the  white  ants, 
proved  unspeakably  troublesome.  Gardens  were  prepared, 
fenced  off,  and  European  seeds  of  various  kinds  were  sown. 
Baker  did  not  build  a  house  for  himself,  preferring  the  com- 


9o  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

fortable  diahbeeah  moored  alongside  the  garden.  A  walk  led 
to  two  large  shady  mimosas,  where  all  visitors  were  received. 
A  steam  sawmill  was  set  up,  and  boat-building  was  com- 
menced. In  the  flat  and  uninteresting  country  with  which 
they  were  surrounded,  timber  was  scarce, — forest  and  bush 
formed  but  a  fringe  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  the  only 
large  trees  were  a  species  of  mimosa. 

On  i  st  May,  when  the  camp  was  being  formed,  they 
received  a  visit  from  the  King  of  the  Shillooks,  Quat  Kare. 
He  was  accompanied  by  two  of  his  wives,  four  daughters,  and 
a  retinue  of  about  seventy  people.  He  was  tall  and  thin  in 
appearance ;  and  as  his  wardrobe  was  old  and  scanty,  Baker 
had  him  clad  in  a  long  blue  skirt,  an  Indian  scarf  to  wear 
as  a  waistband,  and  a  fez.  He  sat  down  on  a  carpet,  upon 
which  he  invited  his  family  to  sit  near  him.  He  did  not  at 
first  appear  to  possess  powers  of  speech,  simply  fixing  his  eyes 
on  Baker  and  his  wife,  and  then  upon  the  officers  in  attend- 
ance. A  question  being  asked  of  him,  it  was  replied  to  by 
his  wife,  a  woman  apparently  about  sixty  years  of  age.  The 
account  which  she  gave  of  the  intrigues  of  the  Governor  of 
Fashooda  gives,  according  to  Baker,  an  average  picture  of 
Soudan  rule. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  river,  where  they  had  formed  their 
settlement,  it  was  almost  entirely  uninhabited.  The  present 
Governor  of  Fashooda  was  in  a  great  degree  responsible  for 
this  condition  of  things,  as  in  the  slave  raids  he  had  made 
on  the  Dinka  country,  the  tribe  had  been  well-nigh  exter- 
minated. In  riding  over  the  country,  it  was  no  uncommon 
thing  for  Baker  to  discover  fragments  of  broken  pottery, 
vestiges  of  former  villages.  A  male  ostrich  was  shot  in  this 
neighbourhood,  the   first   and   last   which   our  traveller  ever 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  91 


bagged.  The  plumage,  as  usual  in  the  male,  was  black,  with 
white  feathers  in  the  wings  and  tail.  In  the  stomach  of  the 
bird  were  found  scorpions,  beetles,  leaves  of  trees,  and  white, 
rounded  quartz  pebbles.  The  camp  began  to  be  crowded 
with  natives,  who  proved  themselves  sharp  at  bargain-making. 
They  exchanged  raw  cotton  and  provisions  for  all  kinds  of 
cotton  manufactures  and  iron.  Baker  bestowed  on  the  natives 
some  good  Egyptian  cotton-seed,  also  the  seed  of  various 
European  vegetables.  The  soldiers  at  the  station  were  in  the 
habit  of  giving  their  corn  to  the  Shillooks  to  grind,  and  they 
invariably  returned  with  the  proper  complement  of  flour.  An 
old  blind  Sheik  met  his  death  in  returning  from  marketing. 
His  canoe  was  bitten  and  upset  by  a  hippopotamus  in  the 
river,  and  he  himself  was  so  lacerated  that  death  ensued. 

On   the    10th   May   a   sail   appeared   up   the   river,  which 
appeared  to  be  approaching  on  her  way  to  Khartoum.     Baker 
sent  his  trusty  aide-de-camp,  Colonel  Abd-el-Kader,  on  board 
to  make  the  necessary  inquiries.     The  vessel,  according  to  the 
captain  and  the  vakeel  (agent  and  commander  of  station),  was 
laden  with  corn,  with  ivory  beneath  the  corn  for  the  supply  of 
the  crew  and  the  soldiers.     Colonel  Abd-el-Kader  was,  how- 
ever, not  easily  deceived.     Probing  amongst  the  corn  with  a 
steel    ramrod   from    a    soldier's    rifle,   a   smothered   cry  was 
elicited,  and  a  negro  woman  was  afterwards  dragged  forth. 
The  forecastle  and  stern  had  been  boarded  up ;  and  when  the 
planking  was  removed,  a  mass  of  humanity, — boys,  girls,  and 
women, — closely  packed  like  herrings  in  a  barrel,  was  revealed 
to  view.     They  had  been  kept  silent  under  fear  of  threats.     A 
young  woman  was  also  found  sewn  up  in  the  sail  attached  to 
the  mainyard  of  the  vessel  to  avoid  discovery.     When  the 
vessel  was  unloaded,  one  hundred  and  fifty  slaves  were  dis- 


92  FA  MO  US  TRA  FELLERS. 

covered  to  have  been  concealed  on  board ;  as  they  had  been 
stowed  into  an  inconceivably  small  space,  the  stench  was 
found  to  be  horrible. 

Baker  gave  orders  that  the  vakeel  and  the  captain  of  the 
vessel  should  be  put  in  irons.  Much  to  the  astonishment  of 
the  slaves,  those  in  irons  were  liberated.  The  ivory  having 
been  weighed  and  the  tusks  counted,  the  vessel  was  reloaded, 
with  an  officer  and  guard  on  board,  who  had  orders  to  confis- 
cate her  as  a  slaver  on  reaching  Khartoum.  The  slaves  were 
ordered  to  wash,  and  clothes  were  issued  for  the  naked 
women.  A  paper  of  freedom,  signed  by  Baker,  was  given 
to  each.  This  was  put  in  a  hollow  reed  and  suspended  round 
the  neck.  Those  negresses  who  wished  to  marry  with  any  of 
the  young  men  in  the  regiments  were  at  liberty  to  do  so. 
The  women  who  remained  single  were  employed  in  domestic 
work,  and  in  cooking  for  the  troops.  The  boys  were  divided 
into  classes,  and  apprenticed  to  various  kinds  of  work. 
Mostoora,  a  precocious  little  girl  of  about  three  years  of  age, 
but  quicker  than  most  girls  of  double  her  age,  was  adopted 
by  Mrs.  Baker. 

The  Egyptian  troops,  while  at  the  station,  continued  to  be 
sickly  and  dispirited,  going  about  their  work  in  a  slouching 
way.  To  the  soldiers  and  sailors,  in  order  to  keep  them  from 
inaction,  was  given  the  employment  of  cultivating  a  portion  of 
the  land  around  the  station. 

Baker  started  again  on  nth  August  1870,  to  explore  the 
obstructions  in  the  main  Nile,  in  the  hope  of  discovering 
some  passage  through  them.  A  small  channel  was  discovered, 
taking  them  to  the  Bahr  Gazal.  The  latter  proved  to  be  but 
an  extraordinary  series  of  lakes  and  swamps,  changing  their 
appearance   every   year.      Baker,   with   remarkable   foresight, 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER,  93 

contradicted  the  opinion  entertained  by  Dr.  Livingstone,  that 
the  river  Lualaba,  which  he  had  discovered  south-west  of  Lake 
Tanganyika,  was  an  affluent  of  the  Bahr  Gazal,  and  quite  cor- 
rectly concluded  that  it  might  possibly  be  an  affluent  of  the 
Congo.     The  discoveries  of  H.  M.  Stanley,  in  crossing  Africa, 
have  proved  the  latter  to  be  indeed  the  Congo  river.     Having 
been  absent  about  ten  days,  he  returned,  resolved  that  the 
main  channel  of  the  Nile  must  be  cleared  from  the  huge  rafts 
of   vegetation    before    navigation    could    be    possible.      Any 
attempt  to  civilise  Central  Africa,  and  annex  new  territory, 
would  be  useless  until  a  proper  channel  should  be  opened  for 
regular  communication.     He  now  determined  that  the  expedi- 
tion should  start  for  the  south  on  1st  December,  and  pro- 
ceeded  to   Khartoum   to  make  the  necessary  arrangements. 
The   measures   already   taken    against    the    slave    trade    had 
rendered  the  expedition  unpopular;   but  worse  than  this,  it 
was  now  discovered  that  the  entire  White  Nile  was  rented  by 
the  traders.      This   placed   our  traveller  in   the   position  of 
attempting  to   annex  a   country  already  leased   out  by  the 
Government  to  those  who  carried  on  the  slave  trade.     The 
leases  bound  the  tenant  to  abstain  from  slave-hunting;   but 
when  away  from  legitimate  authority,  they  acted  pretty  much 
as  they  pleased.     '  If  the  owner  of  a  pack  of  wolves/  writes 
Baker,  'were  to  send  them  on  a  commission  to  gather  wool 
from  a  flock  of  sheep,  with  the  simple  protection  of  such 
parting  advice  as,  "  Begone,  good  wolves,  behave  yourselves 
like  lambs,  and  do  not  hurt  the  mutton  ! "  the  proprietor  of 
the  pack  would  be  held  responsible  for  the  acts  of  his  wolves. 
This  was  the  situation  in  the  Soudan.     The  entire  country 
was  leased  out  to  piratical  slave-hunters,  under  the  name  of 
traders,  by  the   Khartoum   Government;    and   although   the 


94  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS, 

rent,  in  the  shape  of  large  sums  of  money,  had  been  received 
for  years  into  the  treasury  of  the  Soudan,  my  expedition  was 
to  explode  like  a  shell  among  the  traders,  and  would  at  once 
annihilate  the  trade.'  The  Khedive  was  thoroughly  sincere  in 
his  endeavours  to  put  down  the  slave  trade  as  far  as  he  was 
individually  concerned,  only  he  was  placed  in  a  false  position 
by  the  traders  and  Governor  of  the  Soudan.  Finding  that  AH 
Bey  of  Fashooda  had  been  concerned  in  the  slave  trade,  as 
proved  by  Baker,  he  was  dismissed  from  his  service. 

On  ioth  October  1870  the  start  was  again  made  for  the 
south,  arriving  at  their  former  station,  Tewnkeeyah,  on  2 2d 
October.  It  was  now  definitely  arranged  that  the  first  part  of 
the  fleet  would  be  started  for  Gondokoro  on  1st  December. 
Towards  the  end  of  October,  several  vessels,  in  attempting  to 
pass  the  station  with  slaves,  were  captured  and  detained,  and 
the  slaves  liberated.  They  did  not  behave  very  handsomely 
to  their  liberators,  however,  as  they  not  only  ran  away  during 
the  night  with  the  new  clothes  given  them  by  the  Government, 
but  they  also  stole  some  of  the  soldiers'  kits.  The  brutal  treat- 
ment they  have  undergone  has  helped  to  do  away  with  all 
moral  distinctions  in  their  own  minds :  the  fact  of  their  having 
been  so  frequently  deceived  has  made  them  incapable  of 
understanding  the  truth. 

The  station  of  Tewfikeeyah  was  finally  left  behind  on  nth 
December.  The  fleet  consisted  of  fifty-nine  vessels,  in  which 
were  stowed  away  all  the  goods  from  the  station.  Nothing 
was  left  save  a  few  rows  of  deserted  huts.  The  sad  news  of 
the  death  of  Dr.  Gedge  at  Khartoum  was  a  decided  loss  to  the 
expedition.  The  Shillook  country  was  now  at  peace;  the 
Governor  of  Fashooda  had  been  disgraced,  and  Quat  Kare 
had  again  been  appointed  chief  of  the  country  in  room  of  the 


S/J?  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER.  95 

pretender  Jangy.  The  river  was  very  full  at  starting,  which 
augured  well  for  the  voyage.  The  Egyptian  troops,  however, 
appeared  dispirited.  Two  vessels  were  sunk  shortly  after  start- 
ing, which  gave  Baker  occasion  to  observe :  *  To  work  in  this 
country  is  simply  heart-breaking ;  the  material  is  utterly  worth- 
less— boats,  officers,  and  men  are  all  alike.  The  loss  of 
invaluable  time  is  ruinous,  and  the  ignorance  of  the  people  is 
such  that  they  can  do  nothing  by  themselves ;  thus  I  must  be 
everywhere  and  superintend  everything  personally/  One  of 
the  largest  and  finest  vessels  of  the  fleet,  which  had  been  sunk 
near  the  junction  of  the  Sobat  and  Nile,  was  laden  with 
steamer  sections  and  machinery,  the  losing  of  which  would 
have  been  fatal  to  the  success  of  the  expedition.  With  great 
difficulty  and  loss  of  time  the  cargo  and  the  vessel  were  saved. 
Another  great  aggravation  was  the  listless  way  in  which  the 
natives  in  charge  of  the  fleet  had  performed  their  duties. 
Both  officers  and  men  idled  their  time  on  the  passage.  On 
8th  January  they  were  stopped  by  floating  rafts  of  vegetation, 
through  which  a  passage  had  to  be  cut ;  and  on  till  nearly  the 
end  of  March  the  passage  through  the  masses  of  vegetation 
was  extremely  difficult.  At  last  they  gained  the  channel  of 
the  White  Nile,  when  Gondokoro  was  reached  on  15  th  April 
1871. 

They  found  the  country  round  Gondokoro  sadly  changed 
since  their  last  visit.  Villages  had  been  destroyed,  and  the 
natives  driven  for  refuge  to  numerous  low  islands  of  the  river 
through  the  attacks  of  the  people  of  Loquia  at  the  instigation 
of  the  traders.  The  chief,  Alloran,  was  sent  for,  and  he 
promised  to  urge  his  people  to  return  for  protection,  cultivate 
the  corn,  and  build  the  huts  promised  for  the  troops  upon 
arrival.     He  afterwards  took  a  sullen  fit,  however,  and  showed 


96  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

most  unmistakeably  that  his  mind  had  been  prejudiced  against 
them  by  the  slave  traders.  The  Austrian  Mission  Station  was 
completely  dismantled,  and  thousands  of  lemons  had  fallen 
from  the  trees  only  to  grow  withered  and  neglected.  The 
natives  had  ground  down  the  bricks  as  a  powder  wherewith  to 
smear  their  bodies.  The  building  of  a  station  was  com- 
menced, and  the  cultivation  of  a  large  garden  was  also  begun. 
In  this  garden  were  sown  onions,  radishes,  beans,  spinach, 
water  melons,  sweet  melons,  cucumbers,  oranges,  custard 
apples,  Indian  corn,  garlic,  barmian,  tobacco,  cabbages,  toma- 
toes, chillies,  carrots,  parsley,  celery.  The  soldiers  and  sailors 
worked  at  gardening  from  6  a.m.  till  n;  the  remainder  of 
the  day  they  were  at  liberty  to  devote  to  the  construction  of 
their  own  huts.  Gardening,  Baker  felt  to  have  a  localizing  and 
civilising  effect  upon  those  who  were  engaged  in  it,  and  he 
was  thus  fain  to  encourage  it  by  every  means  in  his  power. 
His  impression  was  that  the  young  missionary  would  succeed 
much  better  when  he  carried  on  some  such  agricultural  work 
side  by  side  with  the  savage. 

There  was  a  forest  of  magnificent  tamarind  trees  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  station.  One  of  these  trees,  about  a 
mile  from  the  station,  could  have  sheltered  within  its  shadow 
about  a  thousand  cattle.  The  intractable  nature  of  the  Bari 
natives,  upon  whose  land  they  had  settled,  may  be  gathered 
from  the  conversation  which  took  place  with  the  chief.  Sheik 
Alloran  would  neither  sell,  nor  allow  any  of  his  men  to  sell, 
sheep  or  cattle  to  any  of  the  troops.  He  sent  some  of  his 
men  to  work  before  them  when  engaged  in  gardening  opera- 
tions, in  order  that  they  might  claim  a  right  to  the  soil.  The 
following  conversation,  as  related  by  Baker,  then  took  place  : — 

'  How  long  are  you  going  to  remain  here  ? '  he  asked.     He 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  97 

continued,  *  You  had  better  go  back  to  Khartoum,  and  I  will 
eat  the  corn  you  have  planted  when  it  becomes  ripe.' 

Baker  explained  that  Gondokoro  would  henceforth  be  head- 
quarters for  troops,  and  that  they  should  cultivate  a  large 
extent  for  corn.  In  reply  to  the  question  as  to  whom  the 
land  belonged,  it  was  explained  that  they  had  been  driven 
from  it  by  superior  force,  and  that  now  it  was  under  the 
protection  of  the  Khedive. 

He  replied,  *  Who  does  this  tree  belong  to?'  (they  were 
standing  beneath  its  shade). 

'  It  belongs  to  the  Khedive  of  Egypt,'  replied  Baker,  '  who 
is  now  protector  of  the  whole  country,  and  I  am  his  repre- 
sentative to  establish  his  government.' 

He  replied :  *  Then  you  had  better  be  off  to  Khartoum, 
for  we  don't  want  any  government  here.' 

Baker  found  the  Bari  country  thickly  inhabited,  although 
there  was  no  cohesion  amongst  the  natives ;  each  district  had 
its  distinct  chief.  The  general  feature  of  the  land  was  rolling 
park-like  grass  lands,  with  forests  containing  excellent  timber. 
Their  dwelling-places  were  usually  very  neat,  each  hut  being 
surrounded  by  a  small  court  made  of  cement  composed  of  clay 
from  the  white  ant-hills  mixed  with  cow-dung  and  ashes.  The 
Baris  are  a  pastoral  people,  possessing  great  herds  of  cattle. 
These  cattle,  as  well  as  the  sheep,  are  small  and  active.  All  their 
operations  are  conducted  by  signals  given  by  the  drum,  which 
with  them  answers  the  purpose  of  the  bugle-call  in  ordinary 
military  movements.  The  drum  is  exactly  the  shape  of  an 
egg  with  a  slice  taken  off  the  upper  end.  A  certain  number 
of  beats  answers  the  purpose  of  a  signal  for  the  milking  of  the 
cows,  while  a  beat  in  another  style  is  given  when  the  country 
is  in  danger  of  invasion.     Their  weapons  are  finely-wrought 

III.  G 


98  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


lances,  and  bows  with  barbed  arrows.  The  men  are  tall  and 
powerful,  always  naked  and  smeared  with  ashes.  The  women 
wear  aprons  before  and  behind.  Salt  is  one  of  the  com- 
modities which  they  were  in  the  habit  of  selling  to  natives  of 
the  interior. 

It  soon  became  evident  at  the  station  that  the  Baris  were 
hostile  to  them.  Their  whole  demeanour  from  the  beginning 
had  been  unfriendly.  Although  there  were  thousands  of 
cattle  feeding  before  their  very  eyes,  not  one  of  them  was 
purchasable.  Their  policy,  pursued  at  the  instigation  of  the 
traders,  was  to  starve  the  troops,  so  that  they  would  be  obliged 
to  evacuate  the  position  and  return  to  Khartoum. 

On  26th  May  187 1,  the  ceremony  of  the  official  annexation 
of  Gondokoro  was  gone  through  by  Baker  and  his  men,  in 
the  presence  of  the  natives.  A  flagstaff  about  eighty  feet 
high  had  been  erected  on  the  highest  point  of  land  over- 
looking the  river.  The  plain  had  been  cleared  of  brushwood, 
and  1200  men  marched  from  the  station  at  Gondokoro  in 
clean  uniforms,  to  take  part  in  the  ceremony.  The  official 
proclamation  describing  the  annexation  of  the  country  to 
Egypt,  in  the  name  of  the  Khedive,  was  read  at  the  foot  of 
the  flagstaff.  The  Ottoman  flag  was  then  run  up  the  halyards, 
the  officers  with  drawn  swords  saluted  the  flag,  the  troops 
presented  arms,  the  batteries  of  artillery  fired  a  royal  salute, 
and  then  the  ceremony  was  complete.  The  troops  afterwards 
marched  past  in  order  for  a  supposed  attack  on  an  enemy, 
and  fired  away  about  ten  thousand  rounds  of  blank  cartridge. 
After  being  dispersed,  the  remainder  of  the  day  was  spent 
as  a  holiday  by  the  men.  Baker  had  a  large  dinner  party 
that  day,  to  which  fourteen  of  the  officers  were  invited.  Roast 
beef  and  plum-pudding,  and  other  good  things,  were  indulged 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  99 

in.  Dinner  over,  Lieutenant  Baker  amused  both  officers  and 
men  by  a  magic-lantern  entertainment.  One  of  the  scenes 
most  applauded  was  Moses  going  through  the  Red  Sea  with 
the  Israelites,  which  had  to  be  twice  displayed. 

The  sheik  of  the  Baris  around  Gondokoro,  having  been 
warned,  if  he  still  allowed  his  cattle  to  graze  on  the  forbidden 
side  of  the  river,  that  they  would  be  confiscated,  entirely  dis- 
obeyed orders,  and  two  hundred  head  of  cattle  were  captured. 
On  promising  to  bring  thatch  grass,  and  assist  the  troops  to 
form  the  station,  their  cattle  were  returned.  Their  promise  of 
assistance  was  never  kept,  however,  as  they  positively  refused 
to  work.  They  would  have  been  gratified  if  Baker  would 
have  consented  to  attack  the  enemy  of  their  tribe,  Lorquia, 
by  which  means  cattle  and  sheep  would  have  been  obtained 
both  for  themselves  and  for  the  station.  All  attempts  to 
preach  morality  to  them  were  hopeless;  they  simply  advised 
him  to  *  take  women  and  cattle,  and  then  the  natives  would 
listen  to  my  advice,  but  not  otherwise.'  On  1st  June,  it 
became  evident  that  hostilities  might  be  expected.  A  general 
order  was  issued  to  the  troops,  to  the  effect  that  the  natives 
of  the  Bari  had  disobeyed  the  summons  of  the  Government, 
had  refused  compliance  with  the  regulations  established,  and 
that  it  had  become  necessary  to  compel  them  to  obedience 
by  force.  In  the  event  of  an  outbreak,  the  soldiers  were 
forbidden  on  pain  of  death  to  capture  women  or  children  of 
either  sex. 

The  natives  had  begun  to  annoy  the  sentries,  and  en- 
deavoured to  drive  off  their  cattle  by  stealth.  They  appeared 
to  have  deserted  their  villages  on  the  island  opposite  to  the 
camp,  so  Baker  determined  to  pay  it  a  visit  in  return  for  the 
attacks  which  were  continually  being  made.     This  affair  ended 


ioo  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

in  the  capture  of  some  cattle.  Not  only  were  the  Baris 
exceedingly  troublesome,  but  they  leagued  themselves  with 
the  natives  of  Belinian  against  them.  One  day  the  natives 
of  the  latter  place  made  a  sudden  rush  upon  the  cattle  guards, 
shooting  one  soldier  with  an  arrow,  and  wounding  another 
with  a  lance.  An  order  was  given  at  once  for  an  attack  on 
Belinian.  Baker  left  the  station  on  horseback,  accompanied 
by  Lieutenant  Baker,  Mr.  Higginbotham,  with  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Abd-el-Kader,  and  twenty  men  from  the  detachment 
called  the  '  Forty  Thieves.'  Four  companies,  with  one  gun, 
were  added  to  these  from  headquarters.  A  night  march  was 
undertaken,  when  they  arrived  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Belinian  in  early  morning.  A  stockade,  or  zareeba,  was 
stormed,  and  a  prize  of  six  hundred  cows  secured.  A  fat 
calf  was  killed,  as  the  men  were  hungry,  and  the  cooking 
began.  The  fat,  kidneys,  and  liver,  having  been  cut  into 
pieces  about  two  inches  square  and  arranged  on  a  steel 
ramrod,  were  well  salted  and  peppered,  and  laid  on  the  red- 
hot  embers.  The  ramrod  is  then  stuck  upright  in  the  ground, 
and  the  meat  eaten  off  as  required.  The  cows  gave  milk  in 
plenty;  so,  in  the  meantime,  the  camp  was  well  supplied. 
Three  young  girls  who  had  been  captured  were  released.  The 
Baris  kept  aloof,  merely  watching  their  movements  from  the 
tops  of  high  trees.  The  cattle  were  driven  over  safely  to 
Gondokoro  without  further  trouble  from  the  natives. 

On  9th  June,  Abou  Saood,  a  noted  slave  trader,  arrived 
with  eight  vessels  opposite  the  island  in  the  river.  In  his 
passage  up  the  river,  he  had  benefited  greatly  by  the  cuttings 
made  in  the  vegetable  obstructions ;  his  vessels,  too,  were 
without  cargo,  which  facilitated  their  progress.  They  had 
with  them  a  large  herd  of  cattle,  taken  from  some  tribe  during 


S/JR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER.  101 

the  voyage.  The  Baris  flocked  in  great  numbers  to  these 
new-comers,  glad  at  the  return  of  those  who  had  formerly  led 
them  to  plunder.  They  at  once  assisted  them  in  the  forma- 
tion of  their  camp,  although  they  had  previously  refused  to 
do  the  same  for  the  Government.  Baker  took  an  early  oppor- 
tunity of  sending  an  official  letter  to  Abou  Saood,  asking  him* 
at  the  expiration  of  his  contract,  to  withdraw  all  his  people 
from  the  district  under  his  command,  and  at  the  same  time 
declaring  the  forfeiture  to  the  Government  of  the  cattle  which 
had  been  stolen  within  his  jurisdiction. 

While  this  was  pending,  Abou  Saood  used  his  influence 
amongst  Baker's  own  men  to  neutralize  and  damage  the 
expedition,  while  he  also  fraternized  with  the  Bari  people. 
Unfortunately  a  scarcity  of  corn  threatened  them  at  the  time, 
which  helped  to  dispirit  the  troops.  The  crocodiles  in  the 
neighbourhood  were  exceedingly  ferocious.  Two  sailors  were 
carried  off  in  two  consecutive  days,  and  a  soldier  had  his  leg 
smashed  and  shattered  while  bathing.  Another  sailor,  while 
engaged  in  collecting  the  leaves  of  a  kind  of  water  convol- 
vulus, which  makes  an  excellent  spinach,  had  his  arm 
wrenched  off  at  the  elbow  joint.  A  native  woman,  who  had 
gone  to  the  river  to  wash,  was  carried  off.  A  necklace  and 
two  armlets,  such  as  are  worn  by  negro  girls,  were  found  in 
the  stomach  of  a  large  crocodile  shot  by  Baker  afterwards, 
which  proved  that  some  one  had  been  eaten  and  digested. 
The  stomach  also  contained  about  five  pounds  weight  of 
pebbles,  which  appeared  to  have  been  swallowed  while  feed- 
ing on  flesh  resting  on  the  bank.  *  The  crocodile/  he  writes, 
1  does  not  attempt  to  swallow  an  animal  at  once,  but,  retiring 
with  it  to  some  deep  hole,  tears  it  limb  from  limb  with  teeth 
and  claws,  devouring  it  at  leisure.' 


io2  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

The  detachment  of  men  called  the  ' Forty  Thieves'  had 
been  carefully  drilled  from  the  beginning  of  the  expedition 
with  most  satisfactory  results.  They  had  become  quite 
superior  in  morals  and  regime  to  the  rest  of  the  men.  The 
Colonel,  Abd-el-Kader,  had  so  trained  himself  that  he  had 
become  a  capital  shot.  They  were  distinguished  from  the 
line  regiment  by  a  scarlet  uniform,  which  was  a  simple  red 
flannel  shirt  worn  outside  zouave  trousers.  They  wore,  besides, 
linen  gaiters  and  a  scarlet  fez.  All  these  men  were  thoroughly 
to  be  depended  upon;  in  action  they  were  always  first;  as 
skirmishers  they  proved  invaluable,  climbing  rocks,  pushing 
through  jungles,  and  clearing  the  country  of  the  enemy. 
They  would  not  admit  a  thief  into  their  ranks,  and  generally 
they  became  model  soldiers.  This  led  Baker  to  moralize  on 
the  fact  that  discipline  such  as  is  undergone  by  the  common 
soldier,  brought  to  bear  on  the  ignorant  savage,  would  be  a 
rapid  stride  towards  their  future  civilisation.  It  was  also  his 
opinion  that,  as  the  savage  learns  all  he  knows  from  his 
superiors,  he  would  also  quickly  adopt  their  religious  opinions. 

They  were  still  being  constantly  attacked,  generally  during 
the  night,  by  those  irrepressible  vermin,'  the  Baris.  Con- 
sidering the  people  at  the  station  fair  game,  they  teased  them 
like  rats,  sending  out  scouts  in  the  darkness,  who  crawled 
upon  hands  and  knees  until  within  a  few  yards  of  the  sentries. 
They  then  lie  flat  upon  their  bellies  until  they  can  retreat 
unobserved.  The  attacking  force  next  approaches  on  hands 
and  knees  in  perfect  silence;  they  spring  upon  the  sentries, 
and,  with  wild  yells,  make  a  general  rush  upon  the  camp. 
The  Baris,  combining  with  their  enemies,  the  Lorquia,  made 
a  general  attack  on  the  camp  on  21st  July.  They  actually 
surprised  the  sentries;   one  corporal  was  killed,  and  a  lieu- 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  103 

tenant  and  one  soldier  were  wounded  with  arrows.  The  force 
at  the  station,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  had  forgotten 
that  they  possessed  artillery ;  so  the  natives  were  simply  cowed 
and  driven  back  by  the  firing  of  1100  men,  and  their  attempts 
at  setting  fire  to  the  station  were  also  frustrated  by  the  thorn 
fence  around  it.  This  attack  led  to  the  construction  of  a 
ditch  and  earthwork,  further  to  protect  the  station.  During 
the  month  of  August,  the  men  began  to  complain  of  the 
scarcity  of  corn ;  they  concluded  that,  if  provisions  fell  short, 
this  would  oblige  them  to  return  to  Khartoum.  Abou  Saood 
was  also  anxiously  watching  and  waiting  for  their  disappear- 
ance. Baker,  in  the  meantime,  concluded  that  he  would 
begin  an  attack  on  Belinian  during  harvest  time,  by  which 
means  he  would  secure  2000  acres  of  dhurra,  if  the  troops 
would  work  earnestly  and  secure  it.  On  30th  August 
1871,  preparations  were  made  for  an  attack  on  Belinian. 
There  were  about  a  hundred  villages  situated  in  the  valley 
and  along  the  base  of  the  mountain  at  the  latter  place.  An 
attack  was  made  upon  their  stockades,  and  the  natives  were 
driven  out  of  them.  A  number  of  fat  calves  and  sheep  were 
seized,  and  the  stockades  were  fired.  They  next  set  about 
securing  the  corn,  after  appointing  guards  and  sentries  on  all 
places  exposed  to  attack.  Baker's  men,  however,  worked 
badly,  because  half-heartedly,  in  securing  the  corn,  the  natives 
working  energetically  during  the  night  and  carrying  off  ten 
times  the  amount  gathered  by  the  troops.  Thousands  of 
native  women  and  children  were  engaged  in  boldly  carrying 
it  off.  Baker  heard  at  this  time  of  the  death  of  a  missing 
major,  Achmet  Rafik.  A  herd  of  cattle  was  captured  when 
making  inquiries  about  the  missing  man.  The  natives, 
although   routed,   infested  the  plain,   lying  in  the  grass  like 


io4  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

snakes,  and  taking  their  revenge  on  any  one  who  came  near 
them.  They  could  never  tell  where  they  were  concealed; 
sometimes  it  was  amongst  the  tall  dhurra,  behind  bushes, 
and  amongst  the  grass  and  scattered  bush  by  the  banks  of 
the  river.  Ambuscades  were  appointed  to  clear  the  river 
and  the  country  of  them,  and,  being  picked  men  from  amongst 
the  '  Forty  Thieves/  they  did  their  work  well.  After  a  short 
experience  of  them,  the  Baris  were  led  to  confess  that  it  was 
useless  to  attempt  to  fight  with  such  people,  as  the  earth  was 
full  of  soldiers,  who  sprang  out  of  the  ground  beneath  their 
feet.  When  the  corn  was  conveyed  to  headquarters,  they 
found  it  consisted  only  of  about  670  bushels,  while  650  men 
had  been  engaged  in  storing  it.  This  would  only  last  the 
troops  two  months  on  full  rations,  and  a  spirit  of  dissatisfaction 
began  to  spread  amongst  them.  The  men  naturally  disliked 
the  object  of  the  expedition,  and  would  themselves  have  liked 
to  have  taken  part  in  slave  trading.  They  could  not  under- 
stand why  the  prisoners  of  war  should  not  be  held  as  slaves. 
On  13th  October,  the  existence  of  a  conspiracy  amongst  the 
officers  to  abandon  the  expedition  was  made  known  to  Baker. 
This  mutinous  spirit  was  arrested  by  sudden  orders  being 
given  to  six  companies  of  troops  to  push  straight  by  river 
for  the  Bari  islands,  where  abundance  of  corn  was  expected. 
There  they  indeed  found  abundance,  with  which  they  returned 
in  triumph  to  Gondokoro.  Another  granary  of  corn  was  dis- 
covered farther  southwards,  but  the  natives  keenly  contested  its 
possession.  About  1100  people,  comparatively  useless  to  the 
expedition,  including  children,  women,  sailors,  soldiers,  and 
invalids,  were  sent  down  to  Khartoum  on  3d  November. 
Amongst  this  number,  in  spite  of  orders  to  the  contrary,  many 
able-bodied  men  had  been  thus  sent  off;  so  that,  exclusive  of 


S/J?  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  105 

fifty-two  sailors,  the  expedition  was  reduced  to  502  officers 
and  men.  With  this  small  force  it  seemed  impossible  to 
proceed  to  the  interior.  The  Baris  were  still  hostile ;  the  traders 
were  treacherous ;  the  slave  trade  was  to  be  suppressed  with 
this  handful  of  men,  and  territory  in  the  equatorial  districts 
was  to  be  annexed.  All  this  appeared  to  be  favourable  to 
the  views  of  Abou  Saood.  Baker's  term  of  service,  too, 
would  expire  on  1st  April  1873  :  there  remained  only  one 
year  and  four  months  in  which  to  accomplish  his  work.  The 
Khedive  was  informed  by  letter  of  the  conspiracy  amongst 
the  officers,  and  the  necessity  of  opening  the  channel  of  the 
great  White  Nile  was  dwelt  upon.  Djiaffer  Pasha  at  Khar- 
toum was  also  communicated  with  for  reinforcements  and  a 
supply  of  dhurra.  Though  thus  reduced  in  numbers,  the 
men  were  strong  and  healthy,  and  Baker  determined  to 
accomplish  the  mission  he  had  undertaken. 

On  10th  November,  Baker  made  a  reconnaissance  of  the 
country  at  the  last  cataracts  of  the  Nile,  and  about  six  miles 
south  of  their  position.  The  high  ground  parallel  to  the  river 
was  found  to  be  admirably  suited  for  an  agricultural  settle- 
ment. They  passed  innumerable  villages,  with  overflowing 
granaries.  The  population  of  the  country  was  large,  and  the 
natives  had  proved  themselves  to  be  good  agriculturists. 
Dhurra,  sesame,  dochan,  and  beans  are  sown  in  oblongs  and 
squares.  They  proved  friendly,  although  of  the  Bari  race. 
On  the  13th  November  a  herd  of  eleven  bull-elephants  was 
observed  marching  in  close  order  along  the  bank  of  the  river, 
totally  unconscious  of  the  near  presence  of  enemies.  Baker 
at  once  saddled  his  horse  '  Greedy  Grey,'  taking  rifles  and 
ammunition  with  him.  With  the  assistance  of  his  men,  these 
animals  were  surrounded,  when  they  took  to  the  water,  which 


106  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

they  crossed.  While  they  were  attempting  to  climb  the  steep 
bank  on  the  opposite  side,  Baker  shot  two  of  them  out  of 
the  eleven.  The  half-pounder  rifles  used  were  very  deadly. 
'They  were  certain/  he  writes,  'to  kill  the  elephant,  and  to 
half  kill  the  man  who  fired  them,  with  twelve  drachms  of  fine- 
grain  powder.  I  was  tolerably  strong,  therefore  I  was  never 
killed  outright ;  but  an  Arab  hunter  had  his  collar  -  bone 
smashed  by  the  recoil,  when  the  rifle  was  loaded  with  simple 
coarse-grain  powder.  If  he  had  used  fine-grain,  I  should 
hardly  have  insured  his  life.'  The  bodies  of  the  elephants 
floated  two  miles  down  stream,  where  they  were  secured.  The 
natives  of  Bedden,  flocking  to  the  camp  in  hundreds,  were 
delighted  on  receiving  permission  to  take  as  much  elephant's 
flesh  as  they  required.  Baker  retained  the  two  heads  for  his 
share  of  the  spoil.  The  hostile  Baris,  watching  the  Baris  of 
Bedden  indulging  to  the  full  in  elephant's  flesh,  could  not 
resist  the  temptation.  *  The  temptation/  writes  Baker,  '  was 
too  great  to  withstand.  Who  could  resist  flesh  ?  The  mouths 
of  our  enemies  were  watering  as  they  watched  the  heavy  loads 
of  red  meat  carried  upon  the  heads  of  the  rival  Baris.  In  the 
afternoon  a  messenger  hailed  the  sentry,  to  say  that  one  of  the 
sheiks  wished  to  present  himself  to  me  to  crave  a  cessation  of 
hostilities.  Shortly  after  the  disappearance  of  this  man  with  a 
courteous  answer,  a  batch  of  messengers  arrived  to  beg  that 
their  chief  might  be  received,  as  they  all  desired  peace.'  A 
general  levee  was  held  next  morning.  About  twenty  headmen 
of  different  villages  had  come  to  sue  for  peace.  Peace  was 
established  with  them,  when  the  meeting  concluded  by  a 
request  for  meat.  This  was  granted  them.  This  peace  Baker 
concluded  was  the  result  of  greediness  and  envy,  as  they  had 
on  previous  occasions  declined  the  offer  of  a  large  herd  of 


SIX  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  107 

cattle  that  would  have  been  worth  a  hundred  elephants.  War 
had  been  brought  on,  wherein  they  had  lost  numbers  of  their 
people,  and  much  corn,  '  all  of  which  they  might  have  sold 
for  cows;  and  they  now  desired  peace,  only  to  join  in  the 
scramble,  like  vultures,  over  the  flesh  of  two  elephants.' 
Perhaps  this  extraordinary  craving  for  flesh  may  partly  be 
accounted  for  from  the  fact  that  the  Baris  seldom  kill  their 
cattle.  The  cows  are  simply  kept  for  their  milk,  and  the 
bullocks  to  bleed.  The  cows  are  also  bled  at  stated  times, 
when  the  blood  is  boiled  and  eaten.  Baker  was  able  to  bear 
out  the  testimony  of  Bruce,  the  traveller,  as  to  the  practice  of 
cutting  a  steak  from  the  hind-quarters  of  a  living  cow,  as  he 
had  a  fine  bull  with  a  hump  which  was  similarly  operated 
upon.  The  flesh  is  said  to  grow  and  fill  up  the  vacancy 
caused  by  this  operation. 

Baker  returned  to  Gondokoro  highly  satisfied  with  the 
results  of  the  campaign.  The  magazines  were  filled  with  corn 
which  would  last  them  for  a  year  \  and  peace  had  been  estab- 
lished throughout  the  district,  with  a  promise  of  assistance. 
The  fear  of  the  horses  and  the  Snider  rifles  had  spread 
throughout  the  country,  the  natives  believing  that  no  herds  of 
cattle  could  escape  the  horses,  and  that  the  Snider  rifles  were 
magic.  The  nights  at  the  station  were  now  undisturbed. 
Baker  now  devoted  his  attention  to  all  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions for  starting  for  the  interior.  Raouf  Bey  was  to  be  left 
with  a  small  force  in  charge  ot  the  station.  The  troops  which 
had  been  under  his  personal  command  were  very  anxious  to 
accompany  him  to  the  interior. 

The  detachment  called  the  *  Forty  Thieves'  was  in  the 
meantime  employed  in  making  salt,  which  was  collected  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  station  in  a  rough  state  and  afterwards 


108  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

refined.  The  other  natural  productions  of  the  place  were: 
salts,  iron,  the  oil-nut  tree,  and  tamarinds  in  great  abundance. 
When  the  cotton  crop  was  ripe,  the  quality  was  found  to  be 
good,  and  he  had  it  cleaned  with  a  small  hand-gin  worked  by- 
two  men. 

Baker  remarks  that  he  had  no  time  for  elephant-shooting, 
else  he  might  have  killed  a  considerable  number  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Gondokoro.  The  Baris,  not  being  good  hunters, 
only  attempt  to  take  the  elephant  in  pitfalls ;  so  that,  as  it  was 
seldom  attacked,  it  was  daring  and  easy  of  approach.  The 
small  ripe  fruit  of  a  tree  called  the  heglik  proved  very  attractive 
to  them.  Not  unfrequently  they  would  tear  down  the  tree 
for  the  sake  of  the  fruit,  and  even  exert  their  strength  against 
a  huge  tree  by  shaking  it  and  afterwards  gathering  it  up. 

Baker  arranged  that  he  should  be  accompanied  by  212 
officers  and  men  to  the  interior ;  and  as  they  had  been  twelve 
months  without  communication  with  Khartoum,  and  their 
clothes  were  worn  to  rags,  new  scarlet  flannel  shirts  and  white 
trousers  were  dealt  out  to  them.  The  number  of  men  left  at 
headquarters  was  340,  including  52  sailors.  He  was  deter- 
mined to  penetrate  into  the  south,  carrying  the  steamer  in 
sections,  where  she  would  be  pieced  together  and  launched 
on  the  river  above  the  last  cataracts,  in  order  to  open  the 
communication  with  the  Albert  Nyanza.  As  large  a  supply 
of  ammunition  as  possible  was  carried,  in  order  to  trade  in 
ivory  when  they  reached  Unyoro  or  Magungo,  Kamrasi's 
country. 

The  start  was  made  from  Gondokoro,  or  Ismailia,  as  Baker 
has  named  it,  on  2 2d  January  1872.  For  the  first  few  days 
the  men  were  in  excellent  spirits,  and  appeared  to  trust  their 
leader.     The  vessels  at  times  required  to  be  towed  round  the 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  109 

sandbanks ;  this  was  done  with  great  spirit  by  the  men.  An 
accident  happening,  which  resulted  in  the  death  of  one  of  the 
men,  rather  damped  the  spirits  of  the  party  at  the  outset.  The 
foot  of  the  cataracts  was  reached  on  27th  January;  they  found 
the  spot  very  lovely,  as  the  rocky  islands  were  covered  with 
rich  green  forest,  in  perpetual  verdure.  Bedden,  the  chief  of 
that  part  of  the  country,  came  on  board  Baker's  diahbeeah  with 
some  of  his  men,  and  professed  to  be  quite  willing  to  provide 
carriers  to  convey  the  baggage  of  the  expedition  farther  south- 
wards. It  was  agreed  that  the  carriers  should  proceed  as  far 
as  Lobore*,  about  sixty  miles  from  that  place.  Baker  fully 
believed  that  he  would  be  able  to  secure  help  here,  and  that 
they  should  be  able  to  convey  the  carts,  together  with  the 
steamer,   to   the    navigable    portion   of   the   Nile  in   n.    lat. 

o  t 

3    32. 

Half  of  the  cattle  belonging  to  the  expedition  were  offered 
to  Bedden  for  this  promised  help.  The  conduct  of  the  natives 
was  now  anything  but  reassuring,  and  several  signs  of  distrust 
manifested  themselves.  No  women  or  children  came  near  the 
vessels,  as  they  might  be  expected  to  do,  and  the  cattle  had  all 
been  driven  away  from  the  country.  The  cattle  pens  were 
found  to  be  empty.  At  length  Bedden  condescended  to 
return  and  say  that  his  people  had  never  previously  acted  as 
carriers  for  the  Turks,  nor  would  they  now  do  so.  The  state 
of  the  White  Nile  had  prevented  all  camel  transport  from 
Khartoum;  and  although  cart  and  camel  harness  had  been 
prepared,  neither  horse  nor  camel  could  be  transported.  The 
natives  were  so  rich  in  dhurra  and  corn  that  they  would  not 
work;  they  were  only  ready  to  sleep  or  steal.  There  were 
about  2500  head  of  cattle  and  1800  head  of  sheep  in  the 
camp,  which  were  driven  for  safety  to  three  small  villages  on 


no  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

the  high  sloping  ground.     A  night  attack  was  made  on  this 
cattle  kraal  by  the  Baris,  but  they  were  ultimately  repulsed. 

Baker  resolved,   in   his   present   paralyzed  condition,    that 
the  Englishmen  with  the    steamer   sections   must   return   to 
Gondokoro.     At  the  same  time  he  determined  to  push  on 
with  one  hundred  men,  in  heavy  marching  order,  to  Lobore', 
where  in  all  likelihood  a  sufficient   number  of  porters  could 
be  secured  to  send  back  to  the  vessels,  with  an  escort  of  fifty 
soldiers,  in  order  to  the  advance  southwards.     Major  Abdullah 
was  left  in  charge  of  the  vessels  with  120  men,  a  field-piece, 
and   artillerymen,   and  the    most    careful    precautions    were 
taken  for  their  safety  in  the  case  of  an  attack  from  the  Baris. 
Lokko,  an  old  rainmaker,  joined  Baker  before  the  start  was 
made,  and  the  present  of  a  cow's  horn  fitted  with  brass  made 
him  perfectly  happy,  and  he  proved  a  useful  guide.     The  start 
was  made  on  8th  February,  all  the  people  being  heavily  laden. 
Mrs.   Baker  rode   the    horse    called   *  Greedy   Grey/   which 
carried  as  much  as  could  be  hung  upon  the  saddle.     Baker 
rode  a  powerful  chestnut    called   '  Jamoos,'  of  Arab  blood. 
Ten   donkeys  were    laden   with    the    officers'    effects,    spare 
ammunition,   flour,  etc.      Boxes  were  carried  by  twenty-two 
boatmen.     Colonel   Abd-el-Kader   and    Captain   Mohammed 
Deii  were  with  the  rear-guard,   which  drove  1000  cows  and 
5000  sheep.     The  boys  and  girls,  the  personal  servants  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Baker,  being  remarkably  obedient  and  well  trained, 
all  carried  loads,  and  every  one  departed  in  good  spirits  after 
the  check  which  had  lately  been  imposed  upon  them. 

The  first  halt  was  made  at  a  village  about  three  miles  from 
the  vessels.  There  being  plenty  corn  in  the  place,  and  the 
natives  having  deserted  their  habitations  at  their  approach, 
they  used  the  flour  found  in  the  village,  and  left  two  cows 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  m 

there  by  way  of  payment.  Halting  next  at  the  village  of 
Gobbohur,  the  natives  brought  a  shell  of  8£  lbs.,  which  had 
not  been  exploded,  and  which  had  been  sold  to  them  by 
the  Baris  of  Belinian  as  a  piece  of  iron.  They  hinted  that 
they  intended  to  hammer  it  into  iron  hoes,  when  they  were 
warned  that  it  would  explode  on  being  placed  in  the  fire. 
Marengo  was  the  next  halting-place,  on  ioth  February,  the 
way  that  day  being  through  lovely  rocky  scenery  and  fine  park- 
like views.  The  rocks  passed  on  the  way  consisted  of  syenite, 
gneiss,  and  large  masses  of  white  quartz. 

Lobord  was  reached  on  12th  February,  when  a  halt  was 
made  to  await  the  cattle,  which  were  some  distance  in  the 
rear.  Up  till  this  time  they  had  marched  fifty-seven  miles 
without  firing  a  shot.  Baker  was  glad  to  discover  that  the 
Lobore  tribe  had  no  connection  with  their  recent  troublesome 
neighbours  the  Bari.  The  old  sheik,  called  Abbio,  was  half 
blind,  but  seemed  willing  to  assist  on  hearing  explanations, 
and  granted  a  sufficient  number  of  men  to  go  back  to  the  vessels 
as  proposed,  provided  they  were  accompanied  by  the 
soldiers.  A  regular  market  was  held  shortly  after  their  arrival 
for  the  purchase  of  flour  in  exchange  for  sheep  and  goats. 
Live  goats  were  exchanged  for  about  thirty  pounds  of  flour, 
the  weight  of  the  one  being  about  exactly  equivalent  to  the 
weight  of  the  other.  The  old  sheik  Abbio  did  indeed  provide 
the  requisite  number  of  men  as  carriers  to  return  and  bring 
the  stores  from  the  vessels.  As  there  was  no  doubt  that  the 
country  farther  southwards  was  greatly  depopulated  by  the 
slave  hunters,  Baker  took  the  precaution  of  securing  3740  lbs. 
of  flour  by  2 2d  February.  The  ground  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Lobord  was  like  *  a  beautiful  park,  characterized  by  numerous 
masses   of  granite,   like   ruined   castles,   among  trees   of  all 


ii2  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

shades  of  green. '    The  antelopes  and  wild  pigs  which  Baker 
bagged  delighted  the  natives. 

By  24th  February  the  whole  of  the  troops  and  baggage  had 
arrived  from  the  vessels  ;  all  the  arrangements  made  had  been 
successful.  They  also  brought  tidings  that  the  vessel  had 
been  attacked  by  the  Baris  after  Baker's  departure.  There 
had  been  treachery  on  the  part  of  the  natives,  and  culpable 
negligence  on  the  part  of  those  in  charge.  The  appearance 
of  the  four  hundred  men  of  the  Lobord,  with  fifty  soldiers  in 
scarlet  uniforms,  had  helped  to  decide  the  attack  in  favour 
of  the  troops.  Five  hundred  natives  were  now  engaged  for 
the  forward  journey.  Wani,  the  interpreter,  an  old  acquaint- 
ance made  on  the  former  journey,  superintended  the  arrange- 
ments necessary  for  collecting  the  carriers.  The  natives  were 
allowed  to  select  their  own  cattle  by  way  of  payment,  and 
in  doing  so  they  proved  rather  fastidious.  Baker  found  the 
Lobord  great  workers  in  iron,  which  was  generally  used  for 
the  manufacture  of  ornaments.  They  wore  large  rings  of 
this  metal  round  the  neck,  and  upon  the  arms  and  ankles. 

The  start  was  again  made  on  29th  February;  the  loads 
were  prepared  and  arranged  in  divisions  of  twenty  each,  under 
the  charge  of  selected  officers.  Unfortunately  for  the  honesty 
of  the  Lobore',  sixty-seven  of  the  carriers  had  disappeared 
with  as  many  cows,  leaving  only  433  for  active  service. 
These  carriers  were  very  powerful  men,  but  careless  and 
dishonest,  and  apparently  wishing  to  seize  an  opportunity  to 
escape  on  the  road.  After  a  halt  was  made,  they  would  rush 
and  scramble  for  their  loads  like  wolves  over  a  carcase,  and 
in  the  process  boxes  and  other  et-ceteras  were  turned  upside 
down  quite  heedlessly.  An  inverted  canteen  was  discovered 
upon  the  head  of  one  of  these  men,  with  the  Cognac  and  gin 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  113 

showering  down  his  body ;  he  was,  as  Baker  remarks,  literally 
being  basted  with  the  liquor.  Although  these  men  were  under 
a  son  of  the  sheik,  his  presence  did  not  seem  to  do  much  in 
the  way  of  preserving  order. 

In  the  onward  march  through  a  fine  country  of  hills  and 
low  forest,  they  everywhere  witnessed  the  desolating  effect  of 
the  slave  trade,  passing  large  tracts  of  land  which  had  formerly 
been  under  cultivation,  and  the  charred  remains  of  numerous 
villages.  Abou  Saood  and  his  followers  were  responsible  for 
these  atrocities.  They  arrived  at  the  spot  where  the  Atabbi 
river  joins  the  Asua.  They  waded  through  the  latter,  which 
was  120  yards  in  width.  From  a  height  of  about  a  thousand 
feet  above  the  Asua  river,  they  enjoyed  a  splendid  view  of 
the  entire  landscape.  A  fine  range  of  lofty  hills,  stretching 
in  a  long  line  towards  Latooka,  bordered  their  view  to  the 
east ;  on  the  west,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  White  Nile,  was  the 
precipitous  mountain  Neri.  The  river  Nile  here  boils  through 
the  narrow  gorge  between  the  mountains.  Continuing  the 
journey,  a  magnificent  view  broke  upon  them.  '  The  grand 
White  Nile/  he  writes,  *  lay  like  a  broad  streak  of  silver  on 
our  right,  as  it  flowed  in  a  calm  deep  stream  direct  from  the 
Albert  Nyanza,  at  this  spot  above  all  cataracts.  No  water  had 
as  yet  been  broken  by  a  fall ;  the  troubles  of  river  life  lay  in 
the  future  ;  the  journey  to  the  sea  might  be  said  to  have  only 
just  commenced.  Here  the  entire  volume  flowed  from  the 
Albert  Nyanza,  distant  hardly  one  degree;  and  here  had  I 
always  hoped  to  bring  my  steamers,  as  the  starting-point  for 
the  opening  of  the  heart  of  Africa  to  navigation,  I  was  deeply 
mortified  when  I  gazed  upon  this  lovely  view,  and  reflected 
upon  the  impossibilities  that  had  prevented  my  success.  Had 
the  White  Nile  been  open  as  formerly,  I  should  have  trans- 

III.  H 


1 14  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

ported  the  necessary  camels  from  Khartoum,  and  there  would 
have  been  no  serious  difficulty  in  the  delivery  of  the  steamers 
to  this  point. 

'We  now  descended  into  the  beautiful  plain,  to  which  I 
had  given  the  name  of  Ibrahimeyah,  in  honour  of  the  father 
of  his  Highness  the  Khedive  (Ibrahim  Pasha).  This  point 
is  destined  to  become  the  capital  of  Central  Africa.  The 
general  depot  for  the  steamers  will  be  near  the  mouth  of 
the  Un-y-Ame'  river,  which,  after  rising  in  the  prairies  between 
Fatiko  and  Unyoro,  winds  through  a  lovely  country  for  about 
eighty  miles,  and  falls  into  the  White  Nile  opposite  to  Gebel 
Kuka.  The  trade  of  Central  Africa,  when  developed  by  the 
steamers  on  the  Albert  Nyanza,  will  concentrate  at  this  spot, 
whence  it  must  be  conveyed  by  camels  for  120  miles  to  Gondo- 
koro,  until  at  some  future  time  a  railway  may  perhaps  continue 
the  line  of  steam  communication. 

*  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  a  short  line  of  120  miles  of 
railway  would  open  up  the  very  heart  of  Africa  to  steam 
transport,  between  the  Mediterranean  and  the  equator,  when 
the  line  from  Cairo  to  Khartoum  shall  be  completed  !  .  .  . 

*  I  revelled  in  this  lovely  country.  The  fine  park-like 
trees  were  clumped  in  dark-green  masses  here  and  there. 
The  tall  dolape  palms  were  scattered  about  the  plain,  some- 
times singly,  at  others  growing  in  considerable  numbers. 
High  and  bold  rocks  ;  near  and  distant  mountains  ;  the  richest 
plain  imaginable  in  the  foreground,  with  the  clear  Un-y-Ame 
flowing  now  in  a  shallow  stream  between  its  lofty  banks,  and 
the  grand  old  Nile  upon  our  right — all  combined  to  form  a 
landscape  that  produced  a  paradise.  The  air  was  delightful. 
There  was  an  elasticity  of  spirit,  the  result  of  a  pure  atmosphere, 
that  made  one  feel  happy  in  spite  of  many  anxieties.     My 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  115 

legs  felt  like  steel  as  we  strode  along  before  the  horses,  with 
rifle  on  shoulder,  into  the  broad  valley,  in  which  the  mountain 
we  had  descended  seemed  to  have  taken  root.' 

The  native  name  for  this  beautiful  country  was  Afuddo,  and 
they  were  now  thirty-seven  miles  distant  from  Lobore.  There 
were  villages  formerly  around  their  present  halting-place,  but 
these  had  been  destroyed  by  the  slave-hunters.  Baker  now  felt 
more  at  home,  as  the  landscape  presented  many  familiar 
features  to  him,  and  the  mountain  of  Shooa,  where  he  had 
camped  for  four  or  five  months  on  his  previous  journey,  was 
nw  distinctly  visible.      They  were    now    marching  towards 

||ko,  one  of  Abou  Saood's  stations.     Reaching  the  neigh- 

^ood  of  the  Shooa  mountain,  where  the  camp  of  Ibrahim 

0n  situated,  and  where  he  had  formerly  resided,  they 

the  place  entirely  destroyed.     The  whole  way  to  Fatiko 

.0  a  most  lovely  route.  The  whole  procession,  headed  by 
Baker,  marched  towards  the  slave  station  in  the  most  orderly 
manner.  Their  appearance  created  confusion  in  the  camp, 
immense  numbers  of  slaves  were  driven  out  and  hurried  away 
to  the  south.  Natives  were  seen  rushing  about  armed  with 
spears  and  shields.  Two  messengers  approached  them,  one 
of  them  proving  to  be  an  old  Cairo  servant  of  Baker's. 
Abou  Saood  came  out  to  meet  them  as  they  neared  the 
station,  in  a  humble,  cringing  attitude  inviting  them  to  some 
huts  which  had  been  prepared  for  their  reception.  Declining 
this  invitation,  Baker  established  his  camp  about  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  beyond,  beneath  some  large  acacias.  They  were  now 
165  miles  distant  from  Gondokoro. 

The  troops  were  reviewed,  and  a  sham  fight  and  attack  on 
the  Fatiko  mountain  was  engaged  in  on  8th  March.  The 
natives  appeared  to  be  delighted  at  the  sight,  and  assembled 


n6  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

in  considerable  numbers  to  witness  it.  The  music  of  the 
band,  produced  by  a  number  of  bugles,  drums,  and  cymbals, 
together  with  a  large  military  brass  drum,  had  an  overpowering 
effect  on  them.  The  natives  proved  themselves  to  be  passion- 
ately fond  of  music;  and  Baker  hints  that  a  London  organ- 
grinder  might  make  a  triumphal  march  through  Central  Africa, 
followed  by  an  admiring  crowd,  who  would  dance  to  the  lively 
tunes.  In  the  present  instance,  a  crowd  of  naked  Shooli 
women,  *  bounding  about  as  musical  enthusiasts/  began  to 
collect  together,  attracted  by  the  band.  '  Even  the  babies 
were  brought  out  to  dance;  and  these  infants,  strapped  to 
their  mothers'  backs,  and  covered  with  pumpkin  shells,  like 
young  tortoises,  were  jolted  about,  without  the  slightest  con- 
sideration for  the  weakness  of  their  necks,  by  their  infatuated 
mothers.  As  usual  among  all  tribes  in  Central  Africa,  the  old 
women  were  even  more  determined  dancers  than  the  young 
girls.  Several  old  Venuses  were  making  themselves  extremely 
ridiculous,  as  they  sometimes  do  in  civilised  countries  when 
attempting  the  allurements  of  younger  days.'  The  men  of  the 
Shooli  and  Fatiko  tribes  were  the  best  proportioned  Baker 
had  seen  up  till  that  time ;  they  were  muscular  and  well  knit, 
and  generally  their  faces  were  handsome.  The  women  were 
short  of  stature,  but  strong  and  compact,  and  walk  about 
perfectly  naked.  The  men,  however,  were  partially  clothed 
with  the  skin  of  an  antelope,  slung  across  the  shoulders  and 
covering  the  lower  part  of  the  body. 

After  these  dancing  performances  were  over,  Baker  was 
visited  by  several  of  the  natives,  who  related  to  him  the 
atrocities  committed  by  Abou  Saood's  people.  The  latter 
had  instigated  the  natives  to  attack  them  on  their  first  appear- 
ance ;  but  seeing  Baker's  powerful  force,  and  perceiving  in  him 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER,  117 


an  old  friend,  they  saw  that  this  would  be  hopeless.  The 
natives  assured  him  that  the  whole  country  would  rally  round 
a  good  government — that  what  the  people  desired  was  protec- 
tion and  justice.  Baker  informed  them,  in  return,  that  his 
intentions  were  peaceful,  and  that  a  recurrence  of  the  atrocities 
committed  by  Abou  Saood  and  his  men  would  now  be  pre- 
vented. The  traders'  contract  with  the  Soudan  Government 
would  expire  in  about  twenty  days,  when  Abou  Saood  would 
be  obliged  to  retire,  and  the  Government  would  be  entirely  in 
the  hands  of  the  Khedive.  Baker  had  previously  checked  a 
conspiracy  at  Gondokoro,  which  had  been  instigated  by  Abou 
Saood,  and  now  he  had  appeared  at  a  moment  when  fortune 
was  turning  against  them.  The  traders'  people  were  discon- 
tented with  their  leaders,  with  their  clothes  and  wages.  Their 
parties  had  been  massacred  in  several  directions;  about  500 
loads  of  ivory,  along  with  one  of  their  stations,  had  been 
burned  by  a  night  attack  of  the  Madi.  Thirty-five  of  their 
party  had  been  killed. 

The  news  reached  him  here  that  Kamrasi,  the  former  king 
of  Unyoro,  was  dead ;  also  that  King  Mtesa  of  Uganda  had 
so  far  come  under  the  personal  influence  of  the  traders  from 
Zanzibar  as  to  have  become  a  Mohammedan.  The  throats  of 
either  man  or  beast  were  now  cut  in  the  name  of  God ;  he 
kept  clerks,  too,  who  could  correspond  in  Arabic;  and  in 
addition  to  his  other  forces,  he  possessed  a  regiment  armed 
with  a  thousand  guns,  Abou  Saood  had  found  Mtesa's  people 
too  strong  for  him ;  the  traders  of  Zanzibar  had  been  in  the 
habit  of  dealing  with  them,  and  purchasing  ivory  from  Mtesa 
with  cotton  stufts,  silks,  guns,  powder,  beads,  etc.  The  com- 
modities of  Zanzibar  were  not  uncommon  at  Fatiko.  Abou 
Saood's  slave-hunters  received  a  terrible  blow  from  the  Umiro 


n8  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


tribe.  Ali  Hussein,  a  villainous  Arab  who  had  made  a 
successful  attack  upon  them  once,  determined  again  to  proceed 
against  them.  The  Umiros  had,  however,  laid  an  ambuscade, 
which  resulted  in  the  massacre  of  103  of  Abou  Saood's  men 
and  about  150  of  their  allies.  This  spread  a  panic  amongst 
the  slave  -  hunters,  who  returned  to  Fatiko  broken  and 
unsuccessful.  Mahommed  Wat-el-Mek,  the  son  of  a  small 
king  on  the  Blue  Nile,  was  one  of  the  most  energetic  and 
adventurous  of  the  slave-hunters,  now  under  Abou  Saood  • 
every  nook  and  corner  of  the  country  was  known  to  him. 
While  occupying  the  station  at  Faloro,  he  had  been  hospitable 
to  Speke  and  Grant  on  their  arrival  from  Zanzibar.  Speke,  on 
parting  from  him  at  Gondokoro,  had  presented  him  with  a 
beautiful  double-barrelled  rifle  and  several  other  articles. 
Baker  was  anxious  that  this  man's  services  should  be  secured 
and  added  to  his  company. 

Baker  issued  orders  that  the  sneaking  villain  Abou  Saood 
should  cease  his  slave -hunting  operations  immediately  his 
contract  had  expired.  He  was  only  to  remain  on  sufferance 
in  the  country,  and  until  his  ivory  had  been  removed  to 
Gondokoro.  The  different  stations  at  Fabbo,  Farragenia,  it 
was  well  known,  were  crowded  with  slaves ;  but  with  these 
Baker  did  not  intend  to  interfere.  It  was  arranged  that  a 
Government  officer,  with  a  detachment  of  100  men,  should 
be  stationed  near  Fatiko,  as  a  watch  upon  their  movements. 
This  station  was  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  south  extremity 
of  that  of  Abou  Saood. 

The  sheik  of  the  district  of  Fatiko,  in  the  country  of  Shooli, 
appeared  in  person  on  a  visit  to  Baker  on  16th  March.  This 
great  man  was  perfectly  smeared  with  red  ochre  and  grease 
from  head  to  foot;  a  well-dressed  skin  of  an  antelope  was 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  n9 

slung  across  his  shoulder,  and  descended  across  his  loins. 
He  expressed  himself  very  bitterly  during  the  interview  against 
the  slave-traders,  and  offered  his  allegiance  to  the  Khedive. 
He  was  assured  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  slave- 
traders  in  future.  Baker  gave  him  several  presents,  and, 
according  to  his  usual  custom,  the  seeds  of  the  best  Egyptian 
cotton,  tomatoes,  pumpkins,  cucumbers,  water-melons,  sweet- 
melons,  barmian,  maize,  etc.  A  close  acquaintance  with  the 
magnetic  battery  surprised  and  delighted  him. 

Leaving  Major  Abdullah  in  charge  of  the  station,  the 
expedition  started  southwards  towards  Unyoro.  The  limit  of 
the  inhabited  country  stretched  but  three  miles  beyond  the 
camp  at  Fatiko ;  the  remainder  of  the  way  was  wilderness  to 
Unyoro.  They  reached  the  banks  of  the  Victoria  Nile  on  2  2d 
March,  where  the  river  flowed  beneath  cliiTs  of  seventy  or 
eighty  feet  in  depth  through  magnificent  forest.  They  halted 
on  the  day  following  exactly  opposite  one  of  Abou  Saood's 
stations,  under  the  command  of  a  man  named  Suleiman.  '  It 
is  impossible/  he  writes,  'to  describe  the  change  that  has 
taken  place  since  I  last  visited  this  country.  It  was  then  a 
perfect  garden,  thickly  populated,  and  producing  all  that  man 
could  desire.  The  villages  were  numerous;  groves  of  plan- 
tains fringed  the  steep  cliffs  on  the  river's  bank;  and  the 
natives  were  neatly  dressed  in  the  bark  cloth  of  the  country. 
The  scene  has  changed  !  All  is  wilderness  !  The  population 
has  fled !  Not  a  village  is  to  be  seen !  This  is  the  certain 
result  of  the  settlement  of  Khartoum  traders.  They  kidnap 
the  women  and  children  for  slaves,  and  plunder  and  destroy 
wherever  they  set  their  foot.'  Baker  found  that  Abou  Saood 
had  given  no  intimation  to  his  agent  Suleiman  of  the  expira- 
tion of  his  contract.     The  new  king,  successor  to  Kamrasi, 


120  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

was  Kabba  Rega,  to  whom  Baker  made  known  his  mission, 
and  sent  him  many  substantial  presents.  An  official  message 
was  also  sent  to  Suleiman,  telling  him  i  that  sixteen  days  hence 
the  contract  would  expire,  and  that  he  and  all  his  people  must 
be  ready  to  evacuate  the  country  and  return  to  Khartoum  on 
that  day.  That  any  person  who  should  remain  after  this 
notice  would  be  imprisoned.  That,  should  he  or  any  of  his 
people  wish  to  enlist  in  the  service  of  the  Government  as 
irregular  troops,  their  names  must  be  handed  in  before  the 
expiration  of  two  days/  Sixty-one  men  registered  their  names 
under  Baker.  Kabba  Rega,  like  his  father  Kamrasi,  kept 
Baker  waiting  a  long  time  for  a  reply ;  and  in  the  meantime 
his  cattle  were  dying  every  day,  and  provisions  were  only 
coming  in  in  small  quantities.  They  were  obliged  to  subsist 
mostly  on  vegetable  food.  The  rain  came  down  nearly  every 
day.  Had  he  not  been  provided  with  cattle,  they  would  have 
been  half-starved,  as  nothing  was  procurable  save  beans,  sweet 
potatoes,  and  plantains. 

The  order  was  given  on  8th  April,  by  Kabba  Rega,  that 
Baker  was  to  be  supplied  with  carriers  for  the  journey  to 
Masindi.  The  start  was  at  last  made  from  Foweera;  the 
march  was  through  forest  and  grass  about  four  feet  high, 
until  Kisoona,  a  poor  straggling  place  in  the  centre  of  the 
forest,  was  reached.  The  neighbourhood  was  populous,  but 
the  villages  were  all  concealed  in  the  forest  amidst  groves  of 
bananas.  Next  morning,  the  12th  of  April,  it  was  found  that 
200  carriers  had  absconded.  Colonel  Abd-el-Kader  was  at  once 
sent  back  to  Foweera  with  a  letter  to  Suleiman,  asking  him  to 
collect  300  men  at  once  to  return  with  the  effects  to  the  latter 
place.  Abd-el-Kader  found  that  Suleiman  had  acted  in  a 
treacherous  manner,  and  that  his  people  had  been  allowed  to 


SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER.  12 1 

escape  with  all  their  slaves  and  effects.  The  greater  number 
of  Suleiman's  people  had  escaped  to  Fabbo.  Suleiman  and 
Eddrees  were  captured  and  tried  before  Baker.  The  charges 
against  Suleiman  were  all  clearly  proven.  He  had  conspired 
to  attack  Rionga  in  opposition  to  Baker's  orders ;  had  spoken 
treasonably  against  the  Government;  had  arranged  and  abetted 
the  escape  of  the  new  levy  which  had  joined  the  Government 
service,  with  the  slaves ;  he  had  also  murdered  with  his  own 
hand  a  native  confided  to  his  care.  As  a  first  instalment  of 
future  punishment,  200  lashes  were  inflicted  upon  him  on  the 
spot,  while  his  accomplice  Eddrees  received  100  lashes. 
The  native  chiefs  bore  witness  that  Suleiman  was  the  chief 
offender ;  that  he  had  ruined  the  country,  kidnapping  the 
women  and  children ;  and  that,  as  a  result,  the  natives  had 
fled  from  their  homes.  The  chiefs  who  were  witnesses  of  the 
trial  expressed  their  confidence  in  the  Government. 

On  the  march  to  Masindi  they  encountered  Kittakara,  a 
kind  of  prime  minister  to  Kabba  Re'ga,  who  treated  them 
courteously,  and  never  asked  for  presents.  There  was  still  an 
impression  of  general  ruin  throughout  the  country  when  they 
halted  at  Chosrobeze,  in  lat.  i°  57'  n.  The  traders  had 
ransacked  the  district  for  slaves,  with  the  usual  result. 

Masindi,  the  capital  of  Unyoro,  was  reached  on  25  th 
April.  The  town  was  composed  of  about  a  thousand  large 
beehive-shaped  straw  huts,  without  any  arrangement  or  plan, 
and  is  situated  on  high  undulating  land,  with  a  wide  view. 
The  country  around  is  open,  and  is  covered  with  high  grass. 
Having  selected  a  position  beneath  a  large  banian  tree,  they 
proceeded  to  form  the  encampment.  Kabba  Rega,  the  young 
king,  sent  them  presents  of  provisions.  The  spot  where  they 
had    encamped   was    seventy -nine   miles   from   the   river   at 


122  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


Foweera,  and  three  hundred  and  twenty-two  miles  by  route 
from  Ismailia  or  Gondokoro. 

An  official  visit  was  made  to  Kabba  Re'ga  on  26th  April. 
They  found  the  young  king  sitting  in  his  divan,  which  was 
a  large  newly-constructed  hut,  ornamented  with  some  common 
printed  cotton  cloths  from  Zanzibar.  He  was  clad  in  bark- 
cloth  striped  with  black,  beautifully  made.  He  appeared 
to  be  about  twenty  years  of  age.  Baker  explained  to  him 
the  intentions  ot  the  Khedive  of  Egypt  regarding  the  slave 
trade,  and  expressed  his  regret  at  the  state  in  which  he  now 
found  the  country.  The  prisoners  who  had  been  captured 
by  Colonel  Abd-el-Kader  were  publicly  flogged  in  the  presence 
of  the  people,  and  Suleiman  and  Eddrees  were  led  away  in 
chains.  The  slaves  belonging  to  Unyoro  found  in  their 
possession  were  then  liberated.  Kabba  Rega  returned  Baker's 
visit  on  27th  April,  but  it  was  plain  that  he  was  full  of  sus- 
picions, and  that  he  was  trembling  with  nervous  anxiety. 
A  crowd  of  about  2000  people  had  accompanied  him,  making 
a  tremendous  din  with  whistles,  horns,  and  drums.  He 
was  closely  accompanied  by  four  of  his  great  chiefs.  Amongst 
the  crowd  following  him  were  the  sorcerers;  they  were 
curiously  dressed,  having  fictitious  beards,  manufactured  from 
a  number  of  bushy  cows'  tails.  Baker  has  given  a  capital 
full-length  portrait  of  Kabba  Rega,  which  we  quote : — 

1  Kabba  R£ga  was  about  five  feet  ten  inches  in  height,  and 
of  extremely  light  complexion.  His  eyes  were  very  large, 
but  projected  in  a  disagreeable  manner.  A  broad  but  low 
forehead  and  high  cheek-bones,  added  to  a  large  mouth, 
with  rather  prominent  but  exceedingly  white  teeth,  complete 
the  description  of  his  face.  His  hands  were  beautifully 
shaped,  and  his  finger-nails  were  carefully  pared  and  scrupu- 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  123 

lously  clean.  The  nails  of  his  feet  were  equally  well  attended 
to.  He  wore  sandals  of  raw  buffalo  hide,  but  neatly  formed, 
and  turned  up  round  the  edges.  His  robe  of  bark-cloth, 
which  completely  covered  his  body,  was  exquisitely  made, 
and  had  been  manufactured  in  Uganda,  which  country  is 
celebrated  for  this  curious  production. '  This  was  Kabba 
Rega,  the  son  of  Kamrasi,  the  sixteenth  king  of  Unyoro,  of 
the  Galla  conquerors,  a  gauche,  awkward,  undignified  lout  of 
twenty  years  of  age,  who  thought  himself  a  great  monarch. 
He  was  cowardly,  cruel,  cunning,  and  treacherous  to  the  last 
degree.  Not  only  had  he  ordered  the  destruction  of  his 
brother,  Kabka  Miro,  but,  after  his  death,  he  had  invited  all 
his  principal  relations  to  visit  him  ;  these  he  had  received 
with  the  greatest  kindness,  and,  at  parting,  he  had  presented 
them  with  gifts,  together  with  an  escort  of  his  body-guard, 
called  barasoora,  to  see  them  safe  home.  These  men,  by 
the  young  king's  instructions,  murdered  them  all  in  the  high 
grass  during  their  return  journey.  By  these  means  he  had 
got  rid  of  troublesome  relations,  and  he  now  sat  secure  upon 
the  throne  with  only  one  great  enemy;  this  was  Rionga,  the 
staunch  and  determined  foe  of  his  father,  who  had  escaped 
from  every  treachery,  and  still  lived  to  defy  him  in  the  north- 
eastern provinces  of  Unyoro. 

Of  course  one  of  Kabba  Rega's  first  requests  was  Baker's 
assistance  in  order  to  capture  and  kill  Rionga.  His  mind 
was  only  diverted  from  this  request  by  a  display  of  the  presents 
which  had  been  brought  for  his  father,  Kamrasi.  Being  the 
son  of  his  father,  he  at  once  demanded  that  all  the  presents 
intended  for  his  father  should  be  bestowed  upon  himself. 
The  importance  of  regular  commerce  and  the  establishment 
of  proper  communication  by  a  regular  route  from  the  north 


124  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

was  dwelt  upon  by  Baker.  The  whole  of  the  equatorial  Nile 
basin  was  now  to  be  taken  under  the  protection  of  the 
Khedive.  No  unnecessary  wars  would  be  permitted,  and 
he,  Kabba  Rega,  might  remain  as  the  representative  of  the 
Government.  He  was  assured  that  no  country  could  prosper 
without  industry  and  good  government,  that  agriculture  was 
the  foundation  of  a  country's  wealth,  and  that  war,  being  a 
disturbing  element,  helped  to  ruin  the  country.  This  led 
Kabba  Re*ga  to  speak  of  his  favourite  grievance,  that  *  Rionga 
was  the  sole  cause  of  war,  therefore  it  would  be  necessary  to 
destroy  him  before  any  improvements  could  be  made.  If 
Rionga  were  killed,  and  the  slave-hunters  expelled  from  tho 
country,  there  might  be  some  hope  of  progress;  but  that  it 
was  wasting  breath  to  talk  of  commerce  and  agriculture  until 
Rionga  should  be  destroyed.'  This  was  much  to  the  same 
tune  as  the  continual  speeches  made  by  his  father,  from  all 
of  which  Baker  concluded  that  Rionga  must  be  a  very  fine 
fellow,  and  much  superior  to  either  Kamrasi  or  his  son. 
No  argument  was  of  any  avail,  and  Kabba  Rega  continued 
to  clamour  for  help  to  fight  against  Rionga. 

Traces  of  the  presence  and  of  the  treachery  of  Abou  Saood 
were  soon  self-evident.  He  had  arrived  at  Masindi  in  a  very 
dirty  and  miserable  condition,  and  riding  on  a  donkey.  He 
spread  the  report  that  the  Pasha  was  a  very  different  person 
from  the  traveller  who  had  formerly  been  in  the  country,  and 
that  the  first  mentioned  was  dead.  'The  Pasha,'  said  Abou 
Saood,  *  is  not  like  the  traveller,  or  any  other  man.  He  is  a 
monster  with  three  separate  heads,  in  each  of  which  are  six 
eyes,  three  upon  each  side.  Thus,  with  eighteen  eyes,  he  can 
see  everything  and  every  country  at  once.  He  has  three 
enormous  mouths,  which  are  furnished  with  teeth  like  those 


S/E  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  125 

of  a  crocodile,  and  he  devours  human  flesh.  He  has  already 
killed  and  eaten  the  Bari  people,  and  destroyed  their  country. 
Should  he  arrive  here,  he  will  pull  you  from  the  throne  and 
seize  your  kingdom.  You  must  fight  him,  and  by  no  means 
allow  him  to  cross  the  river  at  Foweera.  My  soldiers  will 
fight  him  on  the  road  from  Gondokoro,  as  will  all  the  natives 
of  the  country ;  but  I  don't  think  he  will  be  able  to  leave 
Gondokoro,  as  he  has  a  large  amount  of  baggage,  and  I  have 
told  the  Baris  not  to  transport  it.  Thus  he  will  have  no 
carriers.'  At  this  absurd  picture  of  himself  Baker  laughed 
outright,  but  felt  that  all  this  was  quite  consistent  with  the 
treacherous  part  he  had  always  acted. 

Baker  began  the  formation  of  a  garden  around  the  camp, 
employing  the  prisoners  in  clearing  the  grass,  while  the 
soldiers  began  the  work  of  cultivation  with  native  hoes. 
The  building  of  a  government  house  and  public  divan  was 
commenced  on  29th  April.  Umbogo,  the  interpreter,  having 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  reason  of  the  difference 
between  white  men  and  black  was  that  the  former  was,  in  the 
habit  of  using  soap,  while  the  latter  did  not,  a  piece  of  soap 
was  given  him  by  Baker,  which  pleased  him  immensely. 
Terrible  stories  of  the  atrocities  of  slavers  were  told  to  him. 
Throughout  Unyoro,  in  troublous  times,  the  corn  is  not 
kept  in  exposed  granaries,  but  buried  in  the  ground  in  deep 
holes.  When  these  slave  -  hunters  were  in  search  of  corn, 
they  would  catch  one  of  the  villagers,  and  holding  the  captive 
over  a  large  jar  filled  with  glowing  embers,  would  roast  his 
posteriors  in  order  to  make  him  tell  where  the  corn  was 
hidden.  If  this  did  not  extract  the  secret,  then  the  throat 
of  the  victim  was  cut  as  a  warning  to  the  rest. 

The  experience  of  our  traveller,  gathered  from  every  native 


1 26  FA  MO  US  TRA  VELLERS. 

tribe  amongst  which  he  dwelt,  was  that  slavery  was  a  natural 
institution  of  the  country,  only  their  reading  of  the  eighth 
commandment  was,  'Thou  shalt  not  steal  from  me.'  Although 
Kabba  Rega  and  his  people  had  no  objection  to  the  restora- 
tion of  the  slaves  which  had  been  stolen  from  Unyoro,  they 
still  continued  the  practice  of  slave-dealing  amongst  them- 
selves. The  value  of  a  healthy  young  girl  in  Unyoro  was 
equal  to  a  single  elephant's  tusk  of  the  first  class,  or  to  a  new 
shirt.  In  Uganda,  where  needles  were  in  great  demand,  a 
handsome  girl  might  be  purchased  for  thirteen  English  needles. 
On  the  year  of  his  arrival  at  Gondokoro,  Baker  had  a  very 
interesting  conversation  with  a  sheik  of  the  Shir  tribe  on  the 
subject  of  the  slave  trade.  Many  of  his  tribe  had  been 
kidnapped  by  neighbouring  people,  and  he  wished  Baker  to 
organize  an  expedition  against  them.  In  the  course  of  the 
conversation  he  seemed  moved  at  the  allusion  to  the  forcible 
separation  of  children  from  their  parents. 

*  Have  you  a  son  ? '  he  asked. 

*  My  sons  are  unfortunately  dead/  replied  Baker. 

*  Indeed  ! '  he  exclaimed.  *  I  have  a  son — an  only  son. 
He  is  a  nice  boy — a  very  good  boy ;  about  so  high  (showing 
his  length  upon  the  handle  of  his  spear).  I  should  like  you 
to  see  my  boy.  He  is  very  thin  now ;  but  if  he  should  remain 
with  you  he  would  soon  get  fat.  He's  a  really  nice  boy,  and 
always  hungry.  You'll  be  so  fond  of  him  ;  he'll  eat  from 
morning  till  night,  and  still  he'll  be  hungry.  You'll  like  him 
amazingly;  he'll  give  you  no  trouble  if  you  only  give  him 
plenty  to  eat.  He'll  lie  down  and  go  to  sleep,  and  he'll  wake 
up  hungry  again.  He's  a  good  boy  indeed  ;  and  he's  my  only 
son.  I'll  sell  him  to  you  for  a  molote  ! '  (native  iron  spade). 
This  is  certainly  a  shocking  story,  but  one  which  becomes  a 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  127 


reality  often  enough,  in  seasons  of  scarcity,  amongst  the  White 
Nile  tribes. 

The  only  way  in  which  girls  are  disposed  of  is  by  purchase 
as  wives,  each  daughter  in  a  family  selling  for  twelve  or 
fifteen  cows  to  her  suitor.  In  Unyoro,  owing  to  the  scarcity 
of  cows,  the  girls  are  bought  for  such  commodities  as  brass- 
coil  bracelets,  bark-cloths,  cotton  shirts,  ivory,  eta 

The  Government  House,  as  it  was  called,  consisted  of  a 
building  containing  only  one  room  twenty-eight  feet  long  by 
fourteen  wide,  and  about  twenty  feet  high.  It  was  carefully 
thatched,  and  had  a  commodious  porch ;  the  inside  walls  were 
neatly  made  with  canes  closely  lashed  together.  This  was 
the  divan  or  public  room,  but  a  back  door  communicated  by 
a  covered  way  to  Baker's  private  residence.  The  private  room 
was  twenty-four  feet  long  by  thirteen  wide,  was  arranged  as 
neatly  as  possible,  in  order  to  excite  the  admiration  of  the 
people  and  make  them  familiar  with  the  manners  and  customs 
of  more  civilised  life,  which  it  was  to  be  hoped  they  might 
imitate,  and  also  improve  trade.  '  The  walls/  he  writes, 
1  were  as  usual  made  of  canes,  but  these  were  carefully  hung 
with  scarlet  blankets,  sewn  together  and  stretched  to  the 
ground,  so  as  to  form  an  even  surface.  The  floor  was  covered 
with  mats.  Upon  the  walls  opposite  to  each  other,  so  as 
to  throw  endless  reflections,  were  two  large  oval  mirrors 
(girandoles)  in  gilt  metal  frames.  A  photograph  of  Her 
Majesty  the  Queen  stood  on  the  toilet  table.  At  the  extreme 
end  of  the  room  was  a  very  good  coloured  print,  nearly  life 
size,  of  Her  Royal  Highness  the  Princess  of  Wales.  The 
scarlet  walls  were  hung  with  large  coloured  prints,  life  size, 
of  very  beautiful  women,  with  very  gorgeous  dresses,  all  the 
jewellery   being   imitated  by   pieces   of  coloured   tinsel.      A 


128  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

number  of  sporting  prints,  very  large,  and  also  coloured,  were 
arranged  in  convenient  places  on  the  walls.  There  were  fox- 
hunting scenes,  and  German  stag-hunts,  together  with  a  few 
quiet  landscapes,  that  always  recalled  the  dear  old  country 
now  so  far  away.  The  furniture  was  simple  enough ;  two 
angarebs,  or  Arab  stretchers,  which  during  the  day  were 
covered  with  Persian  carpets  and  served  as  sofas,  while  at 
night  they  were  arranged  as  beds.  The  tables  were  made  of 
square  metal  boxes  piled  one  upon  the  other,  and  covered 
with  bright  blue  cloths.  These  were  arranged  with  all  kinds 
of  odd  trinkets  of  gaudy  appearance,  but  of  little  value,  which 
were  intended  to  be  asked  for,  and  given  away.  Two  native 
stools  curiously  cut  out  of  a  solid  block  formed  our  chairs. 
The  guns  and  rifles  stood  in  a  row  against  a  rack  covered 
with  red  Turkey  cloth  j  and  a  large  Geneva  musical  box  lay 
upon  a  table  beneath  the  Princess  of  Wales. 

This  room,  as  a  matter  of  course,  soon  became  the  wonder 
of  the  place.  When  Kabba  R£ga  honoured  this  curiosity- 
shop  with  his  presence  on  the  nth  May,  the  first  thing  he 
said  was,  '  Are  these  all  for  me?'  '  Certainly,'  replied  Baker, 
4  if  you  wish  to  exchange  ivory.  All  these  things  belong  to 
the  Khedive  of  Egypt,  and  any  amount  remains  in  the 
magazines  at  Gondokoro.  These  are  simply  a  few  curiosities 
that  I  have  brought  as  an  experiment  to  prove  the  possibility 
of  establishing  a  trade.'  The  wheel  of  life  attracted  much 
attention,  neither  Kabba  Re'ga  nor  any  of  his  chiefs  ever  tiring 
of  the  display.  Each  of  the  chiefs  had  in  turn  to  submit  to 
the  magnetic  battery,  and  Kabba  Rega  was  not  a  little  amused 
to  witness  a  favourite  minister  rolling  on  his  back  in  con- 
tortions. The  large  looking-glasses  were  miracles,  and  they 
set  them  down  as'cojoor'  (magic).      Amongst  the   pictures 


SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER,  129 

of  gaily  -  dressed  female  figures,  they  had  the  good  taste  to 
select  the  picture  of  the  Princess  of  Wales  as  the  most  lovely. 
One  thing  Kabba  Rega  could  not  understand  was,  *  why  the 
women  in  the  various  portraits  all  looked  at  him.'  Where- 
ever  he  moved,  their  eyes  always  seemed  to  follow  him.  This 
made  the  chiefs  also  feel  uncomfortable.  In  examining  the 
guns  and  rifles,  Kabba  Rega  inquired  which  of  them  were 
intended  for  him.  His  uncle  Rabouka  also  remarked  to  Baker 
that  he  had  done  wisely  in  bringing  all  these  guns  as  presents 
for  Kabba  Rega.  About  the  musical  box  the  remark  was 
made  that  the  latter  '  might  set  this  going  at  night  to  play  you 
to  sleep,  when  you  were  too  drunk  to  play  an  instrument 
yourself,  even  if  you  knew  how  to  do  it.'  On  being  refused 
several  articles,  the  personal  belongings  of  Lady  Baker,  he 
peevishly  exclaimed,  *  Everything  that  is  worth  having  seems 
to  belong  to  the  Sit1  (the  lady). 

The  ceremony  of  the  official  annexation  of  Unyoro  in  the 
name  of  the  Khedive  of  Egypt  was  performed  on  the  14th  of 
May  1872.  As  a  proof  of  his  satisfaction  with  this  arrange- 
ment, the  young  king  sent  Baker  a  present  of  twelve  goats. 

On  23d  May  a  party  was  sent  off  to  Fatiko,  with  letters  to 
be  forwarded  to  Egypt,  Khartoum,  and  England,  and  also 
with  written  instructions  to  Major  Abdullah  to  arrest  Abou 
Saood,  who  had,  contrary  to  orders,  defied  Baker's  authority 
and  kidnapped  slaves  in  Unyoro  since  his  contract  had 
expired.  He  was  to  be  taken  prisoner  and  delivered  up  to 
Raouf  Bey  at  Gondokoro,  while  he  was  to  march  himself, 
together  with  the  liberated  slaves,  to  Foweera. 

A  brisk  and  hopeful  trade   was   now   inaugurated.     Ivory 

was  being  received  in  exchange  for  different  commodities,  at  a 

profit  to  the  Government,  when  realized,  of  between  1500  and 
in.  1 


130  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


2000  per  cent.  A  few  beads,  three  or  four  coloured  cotton 
handkerchiefs,  a  zinc  mirror,  and  a  fourpenny  butcher's  knife, 
would  purchase  a  tusk  of  ivory  worth  between  twenty  and 
thirty  pounds.  Baker  remarks  in  regard  to  these  transactions, 
that  at  the  conclusion  of  a  bargain  in  Unyoro  each  party 
thought  he  had  the  best  of  it.  The  young  king,  however, 
interdicted  this  system  of  free  trade  so  auspiciously  begun, 
and  ordered  that  all  the  tusks  for  sale  should  be  brought  to 
him.  The  climate  of  Masindi  had  proved  excellent  for  the 
agricultural  experiments ;  the  produce  sown  proved  very 
thriving.  The  air  was  always  fresh  and  invigorating,  as  they 
were  4000  feet  above  the  sea  level ;  the  Unyoro  people, 
however,  spent  the  day  in  sleep  or  idleness,  unconscious  of 
their  privileges.  Ramadan,  clerk  of  the  detachment,  was 
appointed  by  Baker  to  start  a  school,  as  he  had  mastered 
sufficient  of  the  Unyoro  language  to  make  them  understand, 
and  as  it  would  be  well  to  bestow  upon  them  the  blessings 
of  education  as  well  as  of  commerce.  An  incident  occurred 
on  the  31st  May  which  filled  the  explorer's  mind  with  ominous 
suspicions.  While  the  troops  were  being  put  through  their 
musketry  drill,  they  were  suddenly  surrounded  by  five  or 
six  thousand  men,  armed  with  spears  and  shields,  and  all  in  a 
state  of  frantic  excitement.  The  order  was  immediately  given 
to  form  in  square,  which  puzzled  the  natives  extremely.  By 
putting  a  bold  front  on  the  matter,  and  appearing  only  to  be 
amused,  the  rising  was  averted  and  bloodshed  prevented. 

As  the  miserable  young  king,  Kabba  Re*ga,  spent  most  of 
hi»time  in  a  state  of  semi-intoxication,  and  as  they  were  liable 
at  any  moment  to  the  infliction  of  any  foolish  order  he  might 
issue,  and  as  he  was  also  offended,  in  self-defence  Baker  built 
a  fort  for  greater  security.     This  fort  was  finished  in  a  few 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  131 

days,  so  that  they  had  an  impregnable  protection  in  a  position 
nearly  half-way  between  the  entrance  of  the  main  approach 
and  the  Government  house. 

Envoys  were  received  direct  from  King  Mtesa  of  Uganda, 
on  4th  June,  bearing  a  letter  of  welcome  for  Baker,  written  in 
Arabic.  These  men  were  well  dressed  in  Indian  clothes,  and 
to  our  traveller  appeared  quite  civilised,  as  though  native 
merchants  of  Bombay.  Presents  were  bestowed  upon  them, 
for  which  they  were  duly  grateful.  In  reply  to  inquiries  made, 
nothing  had  been  heard  of  Livingstone.  Baker  wrote  a  letter 
to  Mtesa,  asking  him  to  use  every  endeavour  to  find  the  great 
traveller,  and  send  him  on  to  Masindi.  Two  letters  were 
also  written  for  the  great  traveller,  which  were  consigned  to 
Mtesa' s  care.  Baker's  letter  to  Mtesa  complimented  him  upon 
the  general  improvement  of  his  country,  upon  his  conversion 
from  heathenism,  and  described  the  object  of  the  expedition 
as  one  intended  to  open  up  a  trade  from  the  north  that  would 
bring  merchandise  of  every  description  into  the  kingdom. 
Baker  here  advised  him  to  send  his  own  carriers,  as  Kabba 
Rega  was  jealous,  and  would  endeavour  to  monopolize  the 
trade.  The  envoys  returned  to  Uganda,  with  the  tidings  of 
Speke's  death,  and  much  gratified  by  all  they  had  seen. 

Towards  the  beginning  of  June,  Kabba  Rega  began  to  stint 
them  of  their  provisions,  and  on  the  7th  there  was  really 
nothing  for  the  troops  to  eat.  Matouse,  a  tall  chief,  brought  a 
present  of  seven  jars  of  plantain  cider  and  two  large  packages 
of  flour,  which  he  asserted  he  had  borrowed  from  Rabouka, 
promising  more  corn  on  the  following  day.  The  cider  was 
distributed  amongst  the  soldiers,  and  many  of  them  partook 
of  it.  After  dinner,  Abd-el-Kader  made  his  appearance  at  the 
divan  in  a  state  of  great  excitement,  saying  that  *  many  of  the 


132  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

troops  appeared  to  be  dying,  and  they  had  evidently  been 
poisoned  by  the  plantain  cider.*  Baker  appealed  at  once  to  his 
medicine-chest,  supplying  himself  with  tartar-emetic,  mustard, 
and  salt  and  water.  On  arriving  at  the  camp,  which  was  some 
little  distance  away,  he  found  the  men  in  a  terrible  state. 
Several  of  them  were  lying  insensible,  while  about  thirty 
suffered  from  violent  constriction  of  the  throat,  which  almost 
stopped  their  breathing.  Each  man  was  dosed  with  tartar- 
emetic,  and  afterwards  with  mustard  and  salt  and  water,  and 
by  next  morning  the  danger  was  past. 

Suspecting  a  treacherous  attack,  the  sentries  were  doubled, 
and  Matouse,  the  chief  who  had  sent  the  cider,  was  requested 
to  come  over  to  the  Government  house.  The  message  was 
sent  that  he  would  come  over  on  the  following  day.  An 
ominous  silence  seemed  to  reign  over  the  village  of  Masindi 
that  night.  On  the  following  morning  quite  an  unexpected 
attack  was  made  upon  them ;  shots  were  fired  from  behind  the 
bushes  surrounding  the  station,  and  the  sergeant  who  followed 
Baker,  as  he  moved  towards  the  divan  for  his  rifle,  fell,  shot 
through  the  heart.  The  bugle  was  sounded  without  a 
moment's  delay,  and  the  troops  fell  into  position  around  the 
station,  and  were  soon  pouring  a  heavy  fire  into  the  grass 
around  the  station  where  the  enemy  lay  concealed.  Those  in 
ambush  in  front  of  the  station  were  quickly  driven  out  by  a 
heavy  fire  from  the  '  Forty  Thieves.'  Blue  lights  were  soon  in 
requisition,  and  Kabba  Rega's  large  divan,  as  well  as  a  number 
of  the  straw  dwellings  around,  were  set  on  fire.  The  young 
cowardly  king  had  fled,  with  all  his  women,  before  the  action 
commenced. 

Moving  forward  under  cover  of  the  terrible  conflagration  of 
the  town,  the  enemy  was  met  wherever  they  made  a  stand. 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  133 

1  The  blue  lights/  writes  Baker,  *  continued  the  work  of 
vengeance;  the  roar  of  flames  and  the  dense  volumes  of 
smoke,  mingled  with  the  continued  rattle  of  musketry  and  the 
savage  yells  of  the  natives,  swept  forward  with  the  breeze,  and 
the  capital  of  Unyoro  was  a  fair  sample  of  the  infernal  regions. 
The  natives  were  driven  out  of  the  town,  but  the  high  grass 
was  swarming  with  many  thousands/  A  steady  fire  of  Snider 
rifles  soon  cleared  the  grass,  and  in  one  hour  and  a  quarter 
the  battle  of  Masindi  was  won.  All  that  remained  of  the 
formerly  extensive  town  was  a  vast  open  space  of  smoke  and 
black  ashes.     The  enemy  had  fled. 

After  ordering  the  bugle  to  cease  firing,  Baker  found  that 
he  had  lost  four  men;  one  of  them  was  a  faithful,  devoted, 
and  unselfish  officer,  Monsoor.  After  burying  these  men 
decently  near  the  fort,  with  a  heavy  heart  Baker  wrote  these 
words  in  his  journal :  *  Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Masindi, 
caused  by  the  horrible  treachery  of  the  natives.  Had  I  not 
been  quick  in  sounding  the  bugle  and  immediately  assuming 
a  vigorous  offensive,  we  should  have  been  overwhelmed  by 
numbers.  Since  we  have  been  in  this  country,  my  men  have 
been  models  01  virtue ;  nothing  has  been  stolen,  except  a  few 
potatoes  on  one  occasion,  when  the  thief  was  publicly 
punished,  and  the  potatoes  restored  to  the  owner;  neither 
have  the  natives  been  interfered  with  in  any  manner.  I  have 
driven  the  slave-hunters  from  their  country,  and  my  troops 
from  Fatiko  are  ordered  to  restore  to  Unyoro  all  the  slaves 
that  have  been  stolen  by  the  traders.  The  disgusting  ingrati- 
tude and  treachery  of  the  negro  surpasses  imagination.  What 
is  to  become  of  these  countries  ?  All  my  good-will  brings  forth 
evil  deeds.'  Baker  was,  however,  eminently  well  satisfied  with 
the  demeanour  of  his  officers  and  men  when  the  station  was 


134  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

attacked  by  the  seven  or  eight  thousand  natives.  Nothing,  he 
writes,  could  have  exceeded  their  cool,  soldier-like  bearing. 
In  walking  unarmed  over  the  burnt  town,  Baker  narrowly 
missed  being  speared  by  a  treacherous  native. 

Baker  determined  that  if  hostilities  should  continue,  he 
would  proclaim  Rionga,  the  enemy  of  Kabba  Rega,  as  the 
representative  of  the  Government,  as  vassal-chief  in  Unyoro. 
As  there  was  no  possible  means  of  communication  with 
Abdullah,  who  had  been  left  in  charge  of  the  station  at  Fatiko, 
in  case  of  necessity  it  was  decided  that  a  march  should  be 
made  to  the  Victoria  Nile  in  order  to  meet  and  form  an 
alliance  with  Rionga. 

Kabba  Rega,  from  a  distance,  pretended  to  sue  for  peace, 
but  all  his  proposals  were  blown  to  the  winds  by  a  continuance 
of  treacherous  conduct.  The  abandoned  quarters  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  fort  were  fired.  On  the  13th  June  a 
sudden  rush  of  natives  was  made  upon  the  cattle,  which  were 
grazing  within  a  short  distance  of  the  fort,  poisoned  arrows 
were  thrown,  and  guns  fired  into  the  camp.  The  natives  were, 
however,  speedily  driven  from  the  high  grass  around  the 
station.  Orders  were  given  for  the  destruction  of  all  the 
villages  in  the  neighbourhood,  as  no  doubt  remained  that 
Kabba  Riga's  intention  was  to  massacre  all  at  the  station. 

Baker  collected  his  forces,  and  addressing  them,  arranged 
the  plan  of  march  to  Foweera,  from  whence  they  would  reach 
Rionga.  'A  Bari,  who  professed  to  know  the  path,  would 
lead  the  advance-guard  of  fifteen  Sniders,  commanded  by 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Abd-el-Kader,  supported  by  myself  with 
ten  Sniders  in  charge  of  the  ammunition,  accompanied  by 
Lieutenant  Baker,  my  wife,  and  two  servants,  carrying  double 
breech-loading  elephant  rifles.     The  rear-guard  would  consist 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  135 

of  fifteen  Sniders.'  Orders  were  given  as  to  the  plan  of  march 
and  how  to  comport  themselves  in  case  of  attack.  The 
baggage  that  could  be  carried  was  divided  into  the  requisite 
amount  of  loads.  When  this  was  accomplished,  the  remainder 
of  the  baggage  was  arranged  in  piles  in  the  Government  house, 
was  soaked  with  nitrous  ether,  spirits  of  wine,  lamp-oil,  spirits 
of  turpentine ;  the  building  was  then  fired,  and  the  whole  rose 
in  flames. 

The  march  from  Masindi  to  Foweera  was  begun  on  the 
14th  June  1872.  They  arrived  at  the  latter  place,  after 
innumerable  perils  and  hardships,  on  the  24th  June.  Nothing 
remained  but  blackened  ashes  of  the  old  station.  In  the 
dangerous  march  of  about  eighty  miles,  his  losses  had  been  ten 
men  killed  and  eleven  wounded.  An  enormous  quantity  of 
ammunition  had  been  used  on  the  way,  which  was  lined  with 
ambuscades  of  Kabba  Rega's  people. 

Rionga's  quarters  were  reached  on  18th  July,  when  Baker 
received  a  warm  welcome.  Presents  had  been  exchanged : 
those  from  Rionga  were  a  cow,  sheep,  and  a  load  of  corn; 
Baker  had  given  him  a  beautiful  cloak  of  gold  brocade, 
together  with  a  new  tarboosh  and  sky-blue  turban.  '  He  was/ 
we  are  told,  *  a  handsome  man  of  about  fifty,  with  exceedingly 
good  manners.  He  had  none  of  the  stiffness  of  Kamrasi,  nor 
the  gauche  bearing  of  Kabba  Rega,  but  he  was  perfectly  at  his 
ease.'  He  was  well  aware  of  all  that  had  taken  place  at 
Masindi,  and  he  declared  that  Abou  Saood  had  long  ago 
arranged  a  plan  with  Kabba  Rega  for  his  destruction.  Rionga 
was  well  aware  of  how  Baker  had  refused  to  attack  him ;  he 
promised  to  remain  a  faithful  representative  of  the  Khedive's 
Government.  The  ceremony  of  blood  brotherhood  was  gone 
through,   and   an   entertainment   was   held  in  honour  of  his 


i36  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


arrival.  Baker  speedily  made  friends  with  these  tribes ;  the 
bestowal  of  a  few  red  and  yellow  handkerchiefs  and  two  or 
three  pounds  of  red  and  white  beads  was  sufficient.  Rionga 
was  proclaimed  agent  of  the  Government,  who  would  rule 
Unyoro  in  place  of  Kabba  Rega,  deposed.  Leaving  sixty-five 
men  in  a  powerful  stockade  which  he  had  constructed,  Baker 
started  with  forty  men  to  the  station  at  Fatiko,  in  order  to 
inquire  as  to  what  had  happened  in  his  absence.  This  place 
was  reached  on  2d  August,  much  to  the  relief  of  Major 
Abdullah.  No  one  came  to  greet  the  party  from  Abou  Saood's 
station,  which  Baker  took  as  a  studied  insult.  A  review  of 
the  troops  was  gone  through,  when  the  slavers'  men  gathered 
in  a  suspicious  attitude  some  little  distance  away.  Wat-el-Mek, 
their  leader,  was  summoned  to  appear  before  Baker,  but  he 
refused.  Very  shortly  the  slavers'  men  began  firing  on  the 
Government  troops,  and  seven  men  were  struck  within  a  few 
seconds.  The  enemy  kept  at  a  distance  of  about  ninety  yards 
away,  and  fired  in  a  kneeling  posture,  when  they  retired  behind 
the  huts  to  reload.  They  thus  kept  up  a  hot  fire.  Baker 
ordered  the  bugler  to  sound  *  Charge  bayonets,'  and  led  his  men 
against  them.  The  slavers'  men  immediately  took  to  flight. 
Wat-el-Mek,  in  attempting  to  shoot  Baker,  had  one  of  his 
fingers  cut  off  and  his  gun  halved  in  two  by  a  shot  from  the 
*  Dutchman,'  which  he  always  carried.  They  were  pursued  for 
four  miles.  A  herd  of  306  cattle,  ^30  slaves,  15  donkeys, 
43  prisoners,  7  flags,  and  the  entire  station  were  thus  captured 
from  the  enemy. 

The  enemy  had  more  than  half  their  number  killed.  On 
asking  where  one  of  the  leaders,  Ali  Hussein,  was,  '  Dead ! ' 
cried  a  number  of  voices. 

1  Are  you  certain  ? '  Baker  asked. 


S/E  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  137 

1  We  will  bring  you  his  head,  for  he  is  not  far  off,'  they 
replied ;  and  several  men  started  immediately. 

Breakfast  was  hardly  concluded,  when  some  natives  rushed 
in  and  threw  the  head  of  AH  Hussein  on  the  floor  of  the  hut. 
This  noted  slave-hunter  had  been  alive  when  he  was  dis- 
covered, but  was  quickly  despatched. 

Baker  was  obliged  to  attend  personally  on  the  seven  wounded 
men,  owing  to  the  fact  of  his  having  no  medical  officer  at 
hand.  On  the  3d  August,  evidence  was  given  against  Abou 
Saood  by  Mahommed  Wat  -  el  -  Mek  and  another  prisoner, 
both  swearing  on  the  Koran  that  they  had  only  obeyed  his 
orders  in  attacking  the  troops.  Wat-el-Mek  soon  afterwards 
joined  the  Government  troops,  and  behaved  well  from  that 
time.  Suleiman,  another  of  the  ringleaders,  was  pardoned 
and  reinstated,  being  made  vakeel  of  the  Fabbo  station,  under 
the  command  of  Wat-el-Mek.  All  the  evidence  which  could 
be  brought  forward  was  to  the  effect  that  all  the  opposition 
which  he  had  hitherto  met  with  had  been  caused  by  Abou 
Saood.  The  latter  escaped  to  Khartoum,  and  thence  to 
Cairo,  after  a  lying  interview  with  Baker,  and  spread  all 
manner  of  evil  reports  regarding  him. 

Another  attempt  was  made  by  Abou  Saood's  slave-hunters 
to  secure  the  three  thousand  tusks  of  ivory  which  had  been 
confiscated  to  the  Government  at  Fabbo  station.  In  this  they 
were  entirely  unsuccessful,  as  the  three  thousand  Makkarika 
cannibals  who  had  been  enlisted  in  the  cause  heard  the  real 
truth  regarding  the  difficulties  of  the  work.  ■  Fight  the  Pasha  ! ' 
the  spies  had  exclaimed  3  *  do  you  not  know  who  he  is  ?  and 
that  he  could  kill  you  all  like  fowls,  as  he  did  the  people  of 
Ali  Hussein  ?  He  has  no  cows  for  you  to  carry  off,  but  he 
has  guns  that  are  magic,  and  which  load  from  behind  instead 


138  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


of  at  the  muzzle  ! '  News  arrived  that  Rionga,  in  company 
with  some  other  tribes,  had  defeated  Kabba  Re*ga,  and  that 
he  was  in  hiding  on  the  borders  of  the  Albert  Nyanza.  Mtesa, 
king  of  Uganda,  had  also  invaded  Unyoro  from  the  south, 
and  had  sent  six  thousand  men  under  his  general,  Congow, 
to  be  placed  at  Baker's  disposal  Mtesa  had  heard  with  rage 
and  dismay  of  the  destruction  of  the  goods  at  the  station  at 
Masindi,  which  had  been  intended  for  himself.  The  fort  of 
Fatiko,  which  had  been  commenced  on  the  28th  August, 
was  finished  on  the  25th  December,  and  only  awaited  the 
reinforcements  which  had  been  sent  for  from  Gondokoro. 
The  natives  in  the  district  paid  the  corn-tax  demanded  of 
them  with  great  good-humour. 

The  time  passed  happily  at  Fatiko.  A  vast  hunt  was 
organized,  when  about  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  prairie  land 
was  netted,  the  grass  fired  to  windward,  and  the  game  thus 
driven  towards  the  nets  was  speared  and  shot  by  those  in 
ambush.  The  natives  acknowledged  several  clearly-defined 
laws  in  the  pursuit  of  game.  The  natives  were  very  dexterous 
in  the  use  of  the  simple  hunting  spear,  but  accidents  were 
frequent  in  fighting  with  the  wounded  animals.  As  the 
game  was  abundant  around  the  station,  the  troops  were  k^pt 
well  supplied,  and  large  quantities  were  given  to  the  natives. 
A  lioness  having  been  shot  in  the  grass  after  a  desperate 
encounter,  a  meeting  of  the  women  was  held  in  Gimoro's 
village,  when  the  following  was  the  report  of  what  was 
passed.  The  conclusion  these  women  had  arrived  at  was, 
*  that  the  Pasha  must  not  be  allowed  to  go  out  hunting,  as  he 
might  possibly  be  killed  by  a  lion  or  a  buffalo.  What  would 
happen  to  us  if  any  accident  should  befall  our  father? 
Would   not    the    slave  -  hunters    immediately  return    to    the 


SIR  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  139 

country  and  destroy  us,  simply  because  he  had  protected  us  ? 
Do  we  not  now  sleep  in  peace?  and  were  we  not  always 
awake  at  night  before  he  came  among  us?'  Baker  terms 
them  excellent  people,  and  well  cared  for  by  the  men;  but 
the  ladies'  declaration  regarding  himself  he  could  scarcely  call 
petticoat  government,  as  they  were  entirely  without  attire  of  the 
latter  sort. 

*  My  fort  at  Fatiko  was  within  call  of  two  large  villages — 
those  of  Gomoro  and  the  sheik  of  the  country.  During  my 
sojourn  of  seven  months,  I  never  heard  a  woman  scream, 
neither  was  there  any  domestic  or  civil  disturbance.  There 
were  no  police  required  in  that  country.  There  were  no 
pickpockets,  as  there  were  no  pockets  to  pick,  which  was 
one  advantage  in  favour  of  nudity.  A  London  police  magis- 
trate would  have  died  of  ennui ;  the  constables  could  not 
even  have  sworn  to  a  case  of  intoxication,  merely  as  a  matter 
of  form  to  afford  him  employment.  There  were  no  immoral 
females  to  disgrace  the  public  streets ;  neither  were  there 
any  beggars,  vagrants,  organ-grinders,  or  perambulators,  to 
worry,  deafen,  or  upset  you.  My  country  was  a  picture  of 
true  harmony.  We  had  no  complex  machinery  of  law ;  there 
was  no  such  difficulty  as  an  estate  in  Chancery ;  no  divorce 
court,  or  cases  of  crim.  con.  that  necessitated  an  appeal.  .  .  . 
I  had  no  ecclesiastical  difficulties.  .  .  .  My  troops  were  Mo- 
hammedans, without  an  opposing  sect ;  therefore,  for  lack  of 
opposition,  they  were  lukewarm  believers.  The  natives  be- 
lieved in  nothing.  The  curious  fact  remained,  that  without 
the  slightest  principle  of  worship,  or  even  a  natural  religious 
instinct,  these  people  should  be  free  from  many  vices  that 
disgrace  a  civilised  community.  I  endeavoured  to  persuade 
the  most  intelligent  of  the  existence  of  a  Deity  who  could 


1 4o  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

reward  or  punish;  but  beyond  this  I  dared  not  venture,  as 
they  would  have  asked  practical  questions,  which  I  could  not 
have  explained  to  their  material  understanding.' 

Baker  accounted  for  the  great  mortality  which  existed 
amongst  all  infants,  from  two  years  old  to  five,  by  the  absurd 
custom  of  public  night  nurseries.  Certain  houses  were  built 
upon  stone  supports,  about  three  feet  from  the  ground.  In 
the  clay  wall  of  the  circular  building  is  a  round  hole  about  a 
foot  in  diameter,  this  being  the  only  aperture.  'At  sunset,' 
he  writes,  '  when  the  children  have  been  fed,  they  are  put  to 
bed  in  the  simplest  manner,  by  being  thrust  head  foremost 
through  the  hole  in  the  wall,  assisted,  if  refractory,  by  a  smack 
behind,  until  the  night  nursery  shall  have  received  the  limited 
number.  The  aperture  is  then  stopped  up  with  a  bundle  of 
grass  if  the  nights  are  cool.  The  children  lie  together  on  the 
clay  floor  like  a  litter  of  young  puppies,  and  breathe  the  foulest 
air  until  morning,  at  which  time  they  are  released  from  the 
suffocating  oven,  to  be  suddenly  exposed  to  the  chilly  day- 
break. Their  naked  little  bodies  shiver  round  a  fire  until  the 
sun  warms  them;  but  the  seeds  of  diarrhoea  and  dysentery 
have  already  been  sown.' 

Envoys  arrived  from  King  Mtesa  of  Uganda  on  15th 
January  1873,  w^tn  a  friendly  letter,  and  telling  of  the  army 
which  he  had  sent  Baker  on  the  news  of  Kabba  Rega's 
treachery.  The  king  requested  that  he  should  visit  him. 
There  was  no  news  of  Livingstone,  but  the  two  letters  sent 
addressed  to  him  had  been  forwarded  in  different  directions. 
Fresh  envoys  arrived  on  nth  February  with  another  letter, 
and  the  road  was  declared  to  be  practically  open  between 
Fatiko  and  Zanzibar  through  his  friendship.  These  envoys 
returned  on  13th  February  with  a  representative  from  Baker, 


SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER.  141 


and  a  letter  to  Livingstone.  Mtesa  not  only  delivered  this 
letter  to  Lieutenant  Cameron,  R.N.,  at  Unyanyembe,  but 
actually  sent  his  reply  to  Baker.  The  latter  asked  him  to 
recall  his  troops  from  Unyoro,  thanked  him  heartily  for  his 
interest  and  kindness,  and  sent  him  a  few  presents. 

The  expected  reinforcements  arrived  from  Gondokoro  on 
8th  March.  Great  delays  had  been  experienced  on  their 
journey,  having  been  thirteen  months  on  the  way  from 
Khartoum.  Having  now  six  hundred  and  twenty  men,  the 
stations  of  Fatiko,  Fabbo,  and  Taniodoli,  the  stockades 
opposite  Rionga's  island,  were  strongly  garrisoned.  Clear 
and  explicit  orders  were  written  out  for  the  use  of  Major 
Abdullah,  who  was  left  in  charge  of  the  station  at  Fatiko, 
and  Baker  was  ready  to  start  for  Gondokoro  on  20th  March. 
Having  been  two  years  and  five  months  without  any  communi- 
cation from  Egypt  or  Europe,  about  six  hundred  copies  of  the 
Times  had  arrived  at  once. 

The  expedition  arrived  in  good  order  at  Gondokoro  on  1st 
April  1873,  the  exact  day  upon  which  his  term  of  service  was 
to  expire  with  the  Khedive.  To  his  great  regret  he  learned, 
after  his  arrival,  that  Mr.  Higginbotham,  chief  engineer  of  the 
expedition,  had  died  at  the  end  of  February.  The  station  had 
been  much  neglected  since  his  departure ;  the  environs  were  a 
mass  of  filth,  and  bones  and  old  clothes  lay  scattered  in  every 
direction.  Raouf  Bey  and  the  troops,  however,  appeared  to 
be  in  good  health.  In  his  absence,  a  beautiful  new  screw- 
steamer  had  been  built,  the  work  of  the  Englishmen  left  at  the 
station.  She  had  been  well  constructed,  and  being  without 
paddles,  would  be  able  to  glide  easily  through  the  narrow 
channels  of  the  Bahr  Giraffe.  The  reinforcements  received 
from   Khartoum   turned   out    to   be  merely  slaves  who   had 


1 42  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

been  sold  to  the  Government  and  rapidly  trained  for 
soldiers. 

Preparations  were  now  made  for  the  return  homewards,  and 
everything  was  ready  by  the  25th  May.  Parting  with  the 
*  Forty  Thieves '  after  so  many  experiences  together  was 
rather  a  sad  business;  and  as  Baker  walked  down  the  line 
of  troops,  they  broke  the  bounds  of  discipline  by  exclaiming : 
1  May  God  give  you  a  long  life  !  and  may  you  meet  your 
family  in  good  health  at  home  ! '  In  the  homeward  journey, 
the  passage  through  the  Bahr  Giraffe  was  found  to  be  freer 
than  on  the  upward  journey.  Three  slave  vessels  belonging 
to  Abou  Saood  were  captured,  and  six  hundred  slaves  were 
liberated.  Arriving  at  Berber,  Baker  found  a  considerable 
improvement  in  the  country ;  the  Arabs  had  begun  to  return 
to  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  to  attend  to  agricultural  matters. 
From  Berber  they  marched  to  Souakim,  on  the  Red  Sea, 
going  by  steamer  to  Suez.  Cairo  was  reached  on  24th  August, 
when  Baker  presented  himself  to  his  Highness  the  Khedive, 
and  explained  the  large  chart  of  new  territory  which  had  been 
annexed  in  Central  Africa.  Baker  was  honoured  by  receiving 
from  the  Khedive  the  Imperial  Order  of  the  Osmanie,  second 
class,  as  a  token  of  approval.  The  botanical  collection  pre- 
pared by  Lady  Baker  throughout  the  journey  was  also  handed 
to  his  Highness.  These,  along  with  samples  of  fibres,  skins, 
and  the  salt  of  the  new  territory,  were  afterwards  sent  to  the 
Vienna  Exhibition. 

Abou  Saood,  having  been  previously  arrested  by  Baker's 
orders,  was  tried  by  a  special  tribunal,  but  afterwards  released ; 
and,  much  to  Baker's  astonishment,  the  news  reached  him 
when  in  England  that  he  afterwards  received  a  post  under 
the  Government. 


SIR  SAMUEL  WHITE  BAKER.  143 

The  soldiers  who  had  fought  the  battle  of  Masindi  were 
suitably  rewarded,  and  those  who  had  particularly  distinguished 
themselves  were  promoted.  Before  starting  for  England,  a 
gratuity  of  a  month's  pay  was  given  to  every  English  engineer 
and  mechanic.  Baker,  at  the  close  of  his  journey,  expressed 
his  great  thankfulness  at  the  able  assistance  he,  along  with 
every  member  of  the  inland  expedition,  had  received  from  his 
wife ;  also,  that  during  a  period  of  fourteen  months  he  had 
lost  but  one  man  from  sickness,  out  of  a  detachment  of  212 
officers  and  men. 

His  conclusions  in  Ismailia  regarding  the  slave  trade  are, 
that  a  sweeping  reform  is  necessary  before  commerce  and 
civilisation  can  do  their  perfect  work.  Baker's  suggestion  on 
this  point  was  to  the  effect  'that  all  the  present  existing 
traders  or  tenants  of  the  White  Nile  should  be  expelled  from 
the  country,  precisely  as  I  had  expelled  them  from  the  territory 
under  my  command.'  'The  Government,'  he  remarks,  'might 
then  assume  the  monopoly  of  the  ivory  trade  of  the  White 
Nile;  and  the  natives  would  in  a  few  years  be  restored  to 
confidence. '  Adopting  the  words  used  in  his  Albert  Nyanza, 
he  further  remarks :  '  Should  the  slave  trade  be  suppressed, 
there  will  be  a  good  opening  for  the  ivory  trade.  The  con- 
flicting trading  parties  being  withdrawn,  and  the  interest  of  the 
trade  exhibited  by  a  single  company,  the  natives  would  no 
longer  be  able  to  barter  ivory  for  cattle ;  thus  they  would  be 
forced  to  accept  other  goods  in  exchange.  The  newly- 
discovered  Albert  lake  opens  the  centre  of  Africa  to  navigation. 
Steamers  ascend  from  Khartoum  to  Gondokoro,  in  lat.  40  55'. 
Seven  days'  march  south  of  that  station  the  navigable  portion 
of  the  Nile  is  reached,  whence  vessels  can  ascend  direct  to  the 
Albert  lake.     Thus  an  enormous  extent  of  country  is  opened 


i44  FA  MO  US  TRA  VELLERS. 


to  navigation ;  and  Manchester  goods  and  various  other  articles 
would  find  a  ready  market  in  exchange  for  ivory  at  a  pro- 
digious profit,  as  in  those  newly-discovered  regions  ivory  has  a 
merely  nominal  value.  Beyond  this  commencement  of  honest 
trade,  I  cannot  offer  a  suggestion,  as  no  produce  of  the  country 
except  ivory  could  afford  the  expense  of  transport  to  Europe. 
If  Africa  is  to  be  civilised,  it  must  be  effected  by  commerce, 
which,  once  established,  will  open  the  way  for  missionary 
labour;  but  all  ideas  of  commerce,  improvement,  and  the 
advancement  of  the  African  race  that  philanthropy  can  suggest, 
must  be  discarded  until  the  traffic  in  slaves  shall  have  ceased 
to  exist  Should  the  slave  trade  be  suppressed,  a  field  would 
be  opened  the  extent  of  which  I  will  not  attempt  to  suggest, 
as  the  future  would  depend  upon  the  good  government  of 
countries  now  devoted  to  savage  anarchy  and  confusion.  Diffi- 
cult and  almost  impossible  is  the  task  before  the  missionary. 
The  Austrian  Mission  has  failed,  and  their  stations  have  been 
forsaken ;  their  pious  labour  was  hopeless,  and  the  devoted 
priests  died  upon  their  barren  field/ 

Baker  remarks  '  that  those  missionaries  who  may  settle 
amongst  the  Baris  must  possess  an  inexhaustible  stock  of 
patience. '  The  Madi  and  Shooli  tribes  he  considers  more 
capable  of  religious  instruction.  From  experience,  he  found 
that  a  good  shot  and  a  good  sportsman  always  commanded  the 
admiration  of  the  natives.  Musical  instruments,  especially  the 
bagpipes,  would  attract  them  greatly.  Conjuring  tricks,  the 
magic  lantern,  magnetic  battery,  dissolving  views,  photographic 
apparatus,  and  coloured  pictorial  illustrations,  would  all  delight 
and  amuse  them  greatly.  A  good  surgeon  would  always  make 
his  way;  and  devotional  exercises  should  be  chiefly  musical. 
A  liberal  supply  of  such  articles  as  beads,  copper  rods,  brass 


S/J?  SAMUEL   WHITE  BAKER.  145 

rings  for  arms,  fingers,  and  ears,  gaudy  cotton  handkerchiefs, 
red  or  blue  blankets,  zinc  mirrors,  red  cotton  shirts,  etc.,  dis- 
tributed amongst  them,  would  add  greatly  to  his  weight  and 
influence.  A  knowledge  of  agriculture,  with  a  stock  of  imple- 
ments suited  to  the  country,  carpenters*  and  joiners'  tools,  are 
also  necessary  to  the  well-equipped  missionary. 

Baker's  concluding  remarks  are  in  every  respect  admirable, 
and  contain  a  summary  of  the  work  done  by  his  expedition  : — 
1 A  paternal  Government  extended  its  protection  through  lands 
hitherto  a  field  for  anarchy  and  slavery.  The  territory  within 
my  rule  was  purged  from  the  slave  trade.  The  natives  of  the 
great  Shooli  tribe,  relieved  from  their  oppressors,  clung  to  the 
protecting  Government.  The  White  Nile,  for  a  distance  of 
1600  miles  from  Khartoum  to  Central  Africa,  was  cleansed 
from  the  abomination  of  a  traffic  which  had  hitherto  sullied 
its  waters.  Every  cloud  had  passed  away,  and  the  term  of  my 
office  expired  in  peace  and  sunshine.  In  this  result  I  humbly 
traced  God's  blessing.' 

Writing  on  7th  June  1879,  a  correspondent  of  the  Times 
remarks  regarding  the  work  of  Colonel  Gordon,  Baker's  suc- 
cessor on  the  Nile,  that  his  expeditions  are  a  proof  that  Egypt 
has  pushed  herself  farther  into  the  country  than  her  power  of 
orderly  rule  can  warrant.  Brigands  had  .harassed  his  path 
throughout  the  country,  which  had  relapsed  from  a  state  of 
cultivation  into  a  barren  desert.  Colonel  Gordon  made  many 
salutary  changes  in  the  government,  and  sent  back  many  use- 
less Egyptians  to  Khartoum.  His  lieutenant,  Gessi,  had  com- 
pletely conquered  the  slave  dealers  of  the  Bahr  Gazelle  district 


in. 


glnlritnUiUriUiLnL^Lnlr 


dfdfdrJpJrlfdpJfdpJpJrdp^rrJnJr^FJl^^ 


HENRY     M.     STANLEY. 


I HIS  is  an  age  of  newspapers  :  the  daily  sheet  of 
news  has  so  grown  in  importance  as  to  be  in- 
dispensable; it  has  also  grown  in  power  and 
influence.  However  little  reading  the  business  man  or  the 
average  man  of  the  world  may  go  through,  he  must  see  the 
newspaper.  They  wield  an  ever  -  increasing  influence  in  the 
growth  of  public  opinion  ;  if  their  leaders  are  not  infallible, 
or  the  opinions  they  contain  widely  adopted,  still  they  give  an 
opportunity  to  the  general  public  of  forming  opinions,  and 
of  gaining  information  regarding  all  matters  of  current  and 
general  interest.  Time  was  when  writing  for  the  periodical 
press  was  an  insignificant  and  ill-paid  employment ;  now  its 
contributors  may  be  found  amongst  the  rank  and  talent  of 
the  time ;  while  for  the  regular  staff,  journalism  is  in  every  sense 
a  highly  respectable  profession.  To  journalism,  and  to  a 
daring  journalist,  we  are  indebted  for  two  of  the  most 
important  geographical  feats  of  the  time — the  finding  of  Dr. 
Livingstone,  and  the  crossing  of  the  continent  of  Africa  by 
way  of  the  Congo.  In  the  accomplishment  of  these  two  ends, 
Mr.  H.  M.  Stanley  must  take  a  foremost  place  as  a  journalist 
and  explorer. 


UQ 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  147 

Henry  Moreland  Stanley,  one  of  the  bravest  and  most 
daring  journalists  of  the  time,  was  born  in  Denbigh,  North 
Wales,  and  while  still  in  his  teens,  he  emigrated  to  New 
Orleans.  Joining  the  Confederate  army,  he  was  taken  prisoner 
at  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  on  the  6th  of  April  1862. 
He  effected  his  escape  while  being  conveyed  to  prison,  in  a 
daring  manner,  and  returned  to  England  for  a  few  months. 
Coming  back  to  the  United  States,  he  enlisted  in  the  Federal 
navy,  and  was  present  at  the  capture  of  Fort  Fisher  on  the 
15th  January  1865.  He  acted  as  special  correspondent  for 
the  New  York  Tribune  after  the  war.  In  this  capacity  he 
accompanied  General  Hancock's  expedition  against  the  Kiowa 
and  Cheyenne  Indians.  On  his  return,  along  with  a  com- 
panion of  kindred  spirit,  he  accomplished  nearly  seven  hundred 
miles  of  the  journey  on  a  raft  down  the  river  Platte  as  far  as 
its  junction  with  the  Missouri.  At  a  later  date,  Stanley  and 
two  companions  appeared  at  the  American  Consulate,  Con- 
stantinople, in  a  totally  destitute  condition,  having  been 
robbed  and  maltreated  in  attempting  to  reach  the  interior 
of  Asia  Minor.  Reaching  New  York,  he  was  engaged  on  the 
staff  of  the  New  York  Herald  as  special  correspondent  with 
the  British  military  expedition  to  Magdala  in  Abyssinia. 
Before  proceeding  on  his  Livingstone  search  expedition,  he 
had  accomplished  a  journey  from  Constantinople,  through 
Asia  Minor,  Persia,  and  India,  to  Bombay,  with  only  a  single 
servant  as  companion. 

When  Mr.  H.  M.  Stanley,  on  returning  to  England  in  April 
1874  from  the  Ashantee  war,  heard  the  news  of  the  death  of 
Dr.  Livingstone,  it  awakened  the  determination  within  him, 
that,  if  his  life  was  spared,  he  would  proceed  to  Africa  and 
finish  his  unaccomplished  work.      On  finishing  a  new  book 


148  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

on  Coomassie  and  Magdala  (where  he  had  been  as  special 
war  correspondent),  his  attention  was  directed  to  works  upon 
Africa,  its  geography,  geology,  botany,  and  ethnology.  Having 
already  been  four  times  on  the  African  continent,  the  subjects 
had  a  living  interest  for  him.  His  library  of  books  on  the  sub- 
ject consisted  of  over  one  hundred  and  thirty  volumes.  From 
these  books  and  from  his  own  personal  experience  he  gained 
a  knowledge  of  what  had  been  already  accomplished  in  dis- 
covery and  exploration ;  and  so  he  mapped  out  fresh  ground, 
and  made  a  list  of  instruments  and  other  paraphernalia  which 
would  be  found  useful  should  a  fresh  journey  be  undertaken. 

While  in  the  office  of  the  Daily  Telegraph  newspaper  in 
London,  and  while  the  subject  of  journalistic  enterprise  in 
general  was  under  discussion,  the  editor  of  the  Telegraph  asked 
Mr.  Stanley  a  question  about  South  African  exploration. 

*  Could  you,  and  would  you,  complete  the  work  ?  And 
what  is  there  to  do  ?  * 

Stanley  replied  that  *  the  outlet  of  Lake  Tanganyika  is 
undiscovered.  We  know  nothing  scarcely,  except  what  Speke 
has  sketched  out,  of  Lake  Victoria;  we  do  not  even  know 
whether  it  consists  of  one  or  many  lakes,  and  therefore  the 
sources  of  the  Nile  are  still  unknown.  Moreover,  the  western 
half  of  the  African  continent  is  still  a  white  blank.' 

'  Do  you  think  you  can  settle  all  this,  if  we  commission 
you  ?' 

1  While  I  live,  there  will  be  something  done.  If  I  survive 
the  time  required  to  perform  all  the  work,  all  shall  be  done.' 

Mr.  James  Gordon  Bennett  of  the  New  York  Herald,  who 
had  a  prior  claim  to  Mr.  Stanley's  services,  was  communicated 
with  by  telegraph,  and  asked  if  he  would  join  the  Telegraph 
newspaper  in  sending  Stanley  out  to  Africa  to  complete  the 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  149 

discoveries  of  Speke,  Burton,  and  Livingstone.     The  answer 
received  was,  *  Yes.     Bennett.' 

Nothing  now  remained  but  to  complete  his  preparations 
as  swiftly  as  possible.  Two  weeks  were  allowed  for  purchasing 
boats, — a  yawl,  a  gig,  and  a  barge,— and  for  giving  orders  for 
the  other  articles  of  his  equipment.  The  barge  he  had 
constructed  on  a  special  plan  of  his  own  j  it  was  to  be  forty 
feet  long,  six  feet  beam,  and  thirty  inches  deep,  of  Spanish  cedar 
three-eighths  of  an  inch  thick.  Three  men  were  engaged  to 
go  with  him,  two  of  them  being  Francis  John  Pocock  and 
Edward  Pocock,  sons  of  a  fisherman  of  Lower  Upnor,  Kent) 
and  Frederick  Barker,  a  clerk  at  the  Langham  Hotel  in 
London.  Numberless  other  requests  from  parties  who  wished 
to  join  the  expedition  were  refused.  A  journey  was  also 
undertaken  to  America  to  take  farewell  of  friends. 

Before  leaving,  Mr.  Stanley  received  many  tokens  of  regard 
from  numerous  friends.  Two  farewell  dinners  were  also 
accepted,  one  given  by  the  editor  of  the  Daily  Telegraphy 
the  other  by  the  representative  of  the  New  York  Herald. 
Mr.  Stanley,  with  his  three  Europeans,  and  all  the  general 
property  of  the  expedition,  left  for  Zanzibar  on  the  15  th 
August  1874.  They  arrived  there  on  the  21st  September. 
The  following  gives  the  feeling  of  the  traveller  on  sighting 
the  island  :  *  As  he  passes  close  to  the  deeply-verdant  shores 
of  Zanzibar  island,  he  views  nature  robed  in  the  greenest 
verdure,  with  a  delightful  freshness  of  leaf,  exhaling  fragrance 
to  the  incoming  wanderer.  He  is  wearied  with  the  natural 
deep  blue  of  the  ocean,  and  eager  for  any  change.  He 
remembers  the  unconquerable  aridity  and  the  dry,  bleached 
heights  he  last  saw,  and,  lo  !  what  a  change !  Responding 
to  his  half-formed  wish,  the   earth  rises  before  him  verdant, 


1 5o  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

prolific,  bursting  with  fatness.  Palms  raise  their  feathery 
heads  and  mangoes  their  great  globes  of  dark-green  foliage ; 
banana  plantations  with  impenetrable  shade,  groves  of  orange, 
fragrant  cinnamon,  and  spreading  bushy  clove,  diversify  and 
enrich  the  landscape.  Jack-fruit  trees  loom  up  with  great 
massive  crowns  of  leaf  and  branch,  while  between  the  trees 
and  in  every  open  space  succulent  grapes  and  plants  cover 
the  soil  with  a  thick  garment  of  verdure.  There  is  nothing 
grand  or  sublime  in  the  view  before  him,  and  his  gaze  is 
not  attracted  to  any  special  feature,  because  all  is  toned  down 
to  a  uniform  softness  by  the  exhalation  rising  from  the  warm 
heaving  bosom  of  the  island/  Arrived  at  Zanzibar,  the  pre- 
parations for  the  journey  were  commenced.  All  the  varied 
articles  which  would  be  of  use  in  dealing  with  the  natives 
were  bought  and  selected.  There  were  different  kinds  of 
cloth,  beads,  and  wire,  bales  of  unbleached  cotton,  striped 
and  coloured  fabrics,  handkerchiefs  and  red  caps,  bags  of 
blue,  green,  red,  white,  and  amber-coloured  beads,  small  and 
large,  round  and  oval,  and  coils  of  thick  brass  wire. 

The  character  of  the  Sultan  of  Zanzibar,  Barghash  bin  Sayid, 
is  drawn  in  an  amiable  light  by  Mr.  Stanley.  An  Arab  prince, 
educated  in  the  school  of  Islam,  at  the  request  of  the 
Government  of  Britain  he  became  an  opponent  of  the  slave 
trade.  The  first  decided  steps  taken  by  the  British  Govern- 
ment were  due  to  the  letters  written  by  Dr.  Livingstone  on 
the  subject.  The  territories  over  which  he  is  an  independent 
prince  are  the  islands  of  Zanzibar,  Pemba,  and  Mafia,  about 
a  thousand  miles  of  coast;  Mr.  Stanley  calculates  that  his 
power  extends  over  an  area  of  20,000  square  miles,  with  a 
population  of  half  a  million.  The  following  articles  of  com- 
merce are  exported  : — Cloves,  cinnamon,  tortoise-shell,  pepper, 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  151 

copal  gum,  ivory,  orchilla  weed,  india-rubber,  and  hides. 
Caoutchouc  is  abundant,  but  not  yet  utilized;  the  cocoa-nut 
palm  flourishes,  also  the  sugar-cane;  rice  is  grown  on  the 
banks  of  the  Rufiji ;  cotton  would  also  thrive  if  cultivated. 
In  order  to  utilize  the  products  of  East  Africa,  a  tramway 
into  the  interior  is  required,  as  cutting  roads  through  jungles 
and  using  waggons  are  only  temporary  conveniences.  The 
Arabs  of  Zanzibar  are  described  as  the  best  of  their  race, 
being  sociable,  frank,  good-natured,  and  hospitable,  staunch 
friends  and  desperate  haters.  The  Arab  gentleman  has  very 
perfect  manners,  and  never  broaches  delicate  matters  before 
strangers. 

Mr.   Stanley  engaged  at  once  all    those  who    had  been 

employed  in  the  Livingstone  Search  Expedition  of  1872,  as 

servants  in  the  present  expedition.     Numberless  applications 

were  made  for  employment  by  the  most  unlikely  subjects : 

cripples,  the  palsied,  the  consumptive,  and  the  superannuated 

were  amongst  the  number,  and  so  a  selection  had  to  be  made. 

Many  were  engaged,  however,   whose  characters  would   not 

bear  inspection.     The  customary  presents  were  bestowed  on 

these  servants,   and   a  preliminary  palaver  was   engaged  in, 

when  the   difficulties   of  the    journey   were   duly  discussed. 

When  the  Lady  Alice  arrived  in  four  sections,  Mr.  Stanley 

gave  orders  that  she  should  be  reduced  in  weight  by  some 

slight  remodelling.     A  devout  Moslem,  Turya  Topau  by  name, 

supplied   the   explorer  with    cloth,   cottons,   and    kanikis   at 

reasonable  prices,  and  accepted  his  bills  on  Mr.  Joseph  M. 

Levy   of  the   Daily    Telegraph.      When   all   his   stores   were 

collected,  consisting  of  cloth,  beads,  wire,  medicine,  clothes, 

tents,   ammunition,   provisions,    instruments,    stationery,    and 

photographic  apparatus,  etc.,  they  weighed  in  all  over  eight 


152  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


tons.  These  articles,  when  divided  into  loads  of  sixty  pounds, 
required  the  capacity  of  three  hundred  men  to  carry  them. 
A  payment  in  money  of  four  months'  wages  in  advance  was 
made  to  these  men.  The  entire  amount  disbursed  in  pay 
and  rations  amounted  to  nearly  ^"1300. 

Leaving  Zanzibar,  they  sailed  for  Bagamoyo,  on  the  main- 
land, which  they  reached  on  13th  November.  Some  dis- 
turbances occurred  in  the  town  on  the  arrival  of  such  a  motley 
crowd  of  followers  \  but  these,  however,  were  quelled. 

In  speaking  of  the  small  results  which  have  attended  mis- 
sionary labour  on  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  Mr.  Stanley  ventures 
to  give  his  own  opinions  on  the  subject.  These  opinions  are 
worthy  of  careful  remark,  coming  as  they  do  from  such  an 
indefatigable  explorer.  '  It  is  strange/  he  writes,  '  how  British 
philanthropists,  clerical  and  lay,  persist  in  the  delusion  that 
the  Africans  can  be  satisfied  with  spiritual  improvement  only. 
They  should  endeavour  to  impress  themselves  with  the  un- 
deniable fact,  that  man,  white,  yellow,  red,  or  black,  has  also 
material  wants  which  crave  to  be  understood  and  supplied. 
A  barbarous  man  is  a  pure  materialist.  He  is  full  of  cravings 
for  possessing  something  that  he  cannot  describe.  He  is  like 
a  child  which  has  not  yet  acquired  the  faculty  of  articulation. 
The  missionary  discovers  the  barbarian  almost  stupefied  with 
brutish  ignorance,  with  the  instincts  of  a  man  in  him,  but 
yet  living  the  life  of  a  beast.  Instead  of  attempting  to 
develop  the  qualities  of  this  practical  human  being,  he 
instantly  attempts  his  transformation,  by  expounding  to  him 
the  dogmas  of  the  Christian  faith,  the  doctrine  of  transub- 
stantiation,  and  other  difficult  subjects,  before  the  barbarian 
has  had  time  to  articulate  his  necessities,  and  to  explain  to 
him   that   he  is  a  frail    creature,    requiring    to   be   fed   with 


HENR\  M.  STANLEY.  153 


bread,  and  not  with  a  stone.  My  experience  and  study  of 
the  pagan  prove  to  me,  however,  that  if  the  missionary  can 
show  the  poor  materialist  that  religion  is  allied  with  sub- 
stantial benefits  and  improvement  of  his  degraded  condition, 
the  task  to  which  he  is  about  to  devote  himself  will  be  ren- 
dered comparatively  easy.  For  the  African,  once  brought 
in  contact  with  the  European,  becomes  docile  enough :  he  is 
awed  by  a  consciousness  of  his  own  immense  inferiority,  and 
imbued  with  a  vague  hope  that  he  may  also  rise  in  time  to 
the  level  of  this  superior  being,  who  has  so  challenged  his 
admiration.  It  is  the  story  of  Caliban  and  Stefano  over  again. 
He  comes  to  him  with  a  desire  to  be  taught,  and,  seized  with 
an  ambition  to  aspire  to  a  higher  life,  becomes  docile  and 
tractable ;  but,  to  his  surprise,  he  perceives  himself  mocked  by 
this  being,  who  talks  to  him  about  matters  that  he  despairs  of 
ever  understanding,  and  therefore,  with  abashed  face  and  a  still 
deeper  sense  of  his  inferiority,  he  retires  to  his  den,  cavern, 
or  hut,  with  a  dogged  determination  to  be  contented  with  the 
brutish  life  he  was  born  in.1 

The  start  for  the  interior  was  made  on  the  morning  of  the 
17th  November  1874,  when  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the 
loads  were  distributed  according  to  the  strength  and  disposi- 
tion of  the  carriers.  The  following  was  the  order  in  which  the 
expedition  filed  out  of  Bagamoyo  : — *  Four  chiefs,  a  few 
hundred  yards  in  front;  next  the  twelve  guides,  clad  in  red 
robes  of  Jobo,  bearing  the  wire  coils ;  then  a  long  file, 
270  strong,  bearing  cloth,  wire,  beads,  and  sections  of  the 
Lady  Alice ;  after  them,  thirty-six  women  and  ten  boys, 
children  of  some  of  the  chiefs  and  boat-bearers,  following  their 
mothers  and  assisting  them  with  trifling  loads  of  utensils, 
followed  by  the  riding  asses,   Europeans,  and  gun  -  bearers  \ 


154  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

the  long  line  closed  by  sixteen  chiefs  who  act  as  rear-guard, 
and  whose  duties  are  to  pick  up  stragglers,  and  act  as  super- 
numeraries until  other  men  can  be  procured  :  in  all,  three 
hundred  and  fifty-six  souls  connected  with  the  Anglo-American 
Expedition.  The  lengthy  line  occupies  nearly  half  a  mile 
of  the  path  which,  at  the  present  day,  is  the  commercial  and 
exploring  highway  into  the  lake  regions.'  Edward  Pocock 
acted  as  bugler.  Hamadi,  the  chief  guide,  was  also  supplied 
with  a  prodigiously  long  ivory  horn,  which  was  used  when 
approaching  a  suitable  camping-place.  A  boy  walked  before 
Hamadi  with  a  native  drum,  which  he  was  to  beat  only  when 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  villages.  The  momentous  journey 
had  begun  in  a  most  auspicious  manner. 

The  first  halt  was  made  at  Kikoka  on  the  1 8th  of  November. 
After  leaving  Kikoka  and  Rosako,  and  passing  through  a 
stretch  of  beautiful  park  land,  *  green  as  an  English  lawn, 
dipping  into  lovely  vales,  and  rising  into  gentle  ridges/  the 
small  village  of  Pongwe  was  reached  on  the  23d.  The  popu- 
lous village  of  Congorido  was  reached  on  the  24th.  Mfutch 
was  the  next  village,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  flourished 
the  baobab,  the  doum,  borassus,  and  the  fan  palm.  Game 
was  numerous  on  the  march  between  Mfutch  and  Rubuti. 
They  had  crossed  the  river  Wami  three  times  that  day.  The 
Mkundi  river  was  reached  on  the  3d  December.  Simba- 
Mwenni,  the  Lion  Lord,  owning  five  villages  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood, presented  Mr.  Stanley  with  a  sheep,  some  flour, 
and  plantains.  In  return,  he  was  presented  with  some 
cloth.  In  this  march  to  Makubika,  the  next  settlement, 
they  attained  an  altitude  of  2675  ^eet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  and  were  surrounded  with  grand  and  impressive  scenery. 
Between   Mamboya  and   Kitangeh,   he  was   struck  with  the 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  155 

resemblance  which  many  of  the  scenes  bore  to  others  which 
he  had  seen  in  the  Alleghanies.  Water  was  abundant,  and, 
when  nearing  Kitangeh,  villages  were  found  dotting  every 
hill.  By  way  of  providing  food  for  the  camp,  Mr.  Stanley 
shot  two  zebras  near  Kitangeh.  Crossing  a  plain,  six  miles 
in  width,  Tubugwe  was  reached.  In  passing,  fourteen  human 
skulls  were  noted,  evidently  the  relics  of  unfortunate  travellers 
slain  by  an  attack  of  the  Wahumba  from  the  north-west.  After 
twenty-five  days'  march  from  Bagamoyo,  Mpwapwa  was  reached 
on  the  12  th  December. 

Mpwapwa  is  a  collection  of  villages  situated  on  a  stream  of 
the  same  name,  at  the  base  of  the  southern  slope  of  a  range 
of  mountains  extending  from  Chunyu  to  Ugombo.  Desertions 
were  now  becoming  frequent;  fifty  men  had  abandoned  the 
expedition  before  reaching  Mpwapwa.  By  a  route  skirting 
the  Marenga  Mkali  desert,  they  reached  Chunyu,  an  exposed 
place  which  overlooked  the  desert  separating  Usagara  from 
Ugogo.  On  the  10th  December,  Ugogo  was  entered.  The 
principal  features  of  the  landscape  were  now  a  broad  black 
plain,  on  which  were  spread  out  a  few  solitary  baobab  trees, 
some  wattled  enclosures  inhabited  by  the  natives,  and  occa- 
sional herds  of  cattle  or  flocks  of  goats.  Halting  at  Zingeh 
on  Christmas  day  1874,  the  encampment  presented  a  very 
forlorn  appearance.  Food  was  becoming  scarce.  The  leader 
of  the  expedition  was  reduced  to  live  upon  boiled  rice,  tea, 
and  coffee.  The  natives  were  miserable  and  dispirited  beneath 
the  deluge  of  rain,  which  lasted  several  days.  The  Mukondoku 
district,  which  was  reached  on  the  29th  December,  contained 
about  a  hundred  small  villages.  The  natives  made  a  warlike 
show  at  first,  but  calmed  down  into  a  more  pacific  demeanour. 
The  king,  by  name  Calula,  was  noted  as  being  crafty  and 


156  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


unscrupulous,  and  extortionate  in  his  tribute  upon  travellers. 
Receiving  guides  from  the  king,  on  the  1st  January  187^ 
they  struck  north,  leaving  for  the  first  time  the  path  to 
Unyanyembe.  On  the  way,  young  Keelusu,  the  son  of  a 
chief,  presented  the  leader  of  the  expedition  with  a  gallon  of 
new  milk.  After  this  present  had  been  substantially  acknow- 
ledged, he  divined  with  his  sandals,  and  predicted  that  the 
journey  would  be  successful.  Halting  at  Mtiwi  on  2d  January 
1875,  the  aneroid  showed  that  they  had  reached  an  altitude 
of  2825  feet.  The  night  spent  here  was  a  disturbed  one,  as 
the  camp  was  flooded  with  water,  owing  to  a  rainfall  of  six 
inches  of  water.  Ugogo  was  left  behind,  and  the  district  of 
Uyanzi  was  reached  on  4th  January.  The  plains  of  Ugogo 
furnished  only  dwarf  bushes  of  acacia,  rank-smelling  gum-trees, 
and  euphorbias,  but  the  character  of  the  vegetation  was  now 
much  improved.  The  village  of  Kashongwa,  situated  on  the 
verge  of  a  trackless  wild,  was  reached  on  6th  January.  The 
way  to  the  next  halting-place,  called  Urimi,  was  covered  with 
a  vast  carpet  of  scrub  or  brush,  through  which  the  expedition 
could  only  make  its  way  with  extreme  difficulty.  Reaching 
the  neighbourhood  of  a  miserable  village  called  Uveriveri, 
food  was  not  to  be  obtained,  and  they  were  on  the  verge  of 
starvation.  The  pangs  of  hunger  were  relieved  by  a  mixture 
of  boiled  oatmeal  and  'revalenta  Arabica.'  Reaching  Suna  on 
12th  January,  they  found  the  natives  not  altogether  friendly. 
The  Warimi  tribe  possessed  a  fine  physique,  being  robust,  tall, 
and  manly  in  bearing.  The  ornaments  they  wore  were  cinc- 
tures of  brass  wire  round  the  loins,  armlets  and  leglets  of 
brass,  brass-wire  collars,  and  beads  plentifully  besprinkled 
amongst  their  hair.  In  consequence  of  the  privations  under- 
gone in  Ugogo,  many  of  the  men  were  now  on  the  sick  list,  and 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  157 

»-* — ■ — — 

Edward  Pocock  was  attacked  with  fever.  Pushing  on,  weary 
and  harassed,,  Chiwyu  was  reached,  where  Pocock  died  on 
17  th  January.  He  was  buried  in  English  fashion  beneath 
the  shade  of  a  large  acacia  tree,  the  prayers  of  the  Church 
Service  were  read  over  his  remains,  and  his  brother  carved 
a  cross  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree  as  an  emblem  of  the  faith  in 
which  he  died. 

The  height  at  which  the  expedition  had  camped  at  Chiwyu 
was  5400  feet  above  sea  level.  'To  the  northward  of  Suna 
and  Chiwyu/  writes  Mr.  Stanley,  'the  country,  however,  no 
longer  retained  that  grand  unfurrowed  uplift,  but  presented 
several  isolated  hills  and  short  ranges,  while  to  the  westward 
also  we  saw  that  it  was  divided  into  oval  basins,  rimmed  with 
low  hills.  From  these  same  hollows  and  furrows  and  basins  at 
the  base  of  the  hills,  scattered  to  the  north  and  west  of  Suna 
and  Chiwyu,  issue  the  first  tiny  rivulets  which,  as  we  continue 
our  journey  to  the  north-west,  gradually  converge  to  one  main 
stream,  trending  towards  Lake  Victoria.  It  is  in  this  region, 
therefore,  that  the  most  extreme  southern  sources  of  the  Nile 
were  discovered.'  The  springs  and  headquarters  of  the  Shimuyu, 
flowing  north-north-west  into  Lake  Victoria,  were  here  crossed 
several  times.  After  passing  Mangura,  the  district  of  Ituru 
was  entered.  The  streams  here,  being  numerous,  flowed 
northwards.  In  spite  of  the  amount  of  water,  however,  the 
cattle  were  poor  and  gaunt,  the  dogs  half-starved,  and  the 
sheep  and  goats  perfect  skeletons.  Amongst  the  birds  seen  in 
this  region  were  spur-winged  geese,  brown  short-billed  ducks, 
long-legged  plovers,  snipes,  cranes,  herons,  spoonbills,  paro- 
quets, and  jays.  The  wealth  of  the  villagers  in  Ituru  consisted 
in  their  cattle  and  asses.  A  village  called  Vinyata  was  reached 
on   2 1  st  January.      Sickness   was    increasing    in    the   camp; 


158  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

twenty  men  had  already  died,  and  eighty-nine  had  deserted 
since  leaving  the  coast.  Two  men  belonging  to  the  expedition 
were  brutally  murdered  in  this  neighbourhood ;  and  although 
the  magic  doctor  who  visited  the  camp  was  handsomely 
treated,  the  natives  showed  such  an  amount  of  treachery  and 
hostility  as  made  self-defence  imperative.  In  the  second  day's 
encounter  twenty-one  soldiers  and  one  messenger  were  killed, 
and  three  wounded  Another  encounter,  with  the  view  of 
driving  back  the  natives  to  a  greater  distance,  took  place  on 
the  25th.  On  summing  up  the  disasters  at  the  close  of  this 
day,  it  was  found  that  in  all  twenty-four  men  had  been  killed 
and  four  wounded ;  besides  this,  there  were  twenty-five  on  the 
sick  list.  This  number  of  men  rendered  useless  caused  a 
re-arrangement  of  the  burdens  and  baggage  of  the  camp ;  and 
much  of  the  miscellaneous  property  was  burned  ere  the  26th, 
after  which  the  journey  was  resumed.  The  expedition  at  this 
time  consisted  of  three  Europeans,  two  hundred  and  six 
Wangwana  and  Wanyamwezi,  twenty-five  women,  and  six  boys. 
Ten  miles  from  Vinyata  another  halt  was  made,  at  an  altitude 
of  5650  feet  above  the  ocean.  They  had  on  one  side  of  them 
•  the  deep,  wooded  valley  through  which  the  rapid  Leewumbu 
rushes.  Its  banks  on  each  side  slope  steeply  upward,  and  at 
the  top  become  detached  hills  clothed  with  forest ;  from  their 
base  wave  the  uplands  in  grand  and  imposing  wooded  ridges.' 

Reaching  Mgongo  Tembo,  Mr.  Stanley  made  friends  with 
the  chief  of  the  same  name,  from  whom  he  heard  that 
Mirambo  was  fighting  the  Wasukuma  farther  forward.  After  a 
halt  of  two  days,  they  pushed  forward,  entering  Mangura  in 
Usukuma.  Six  miles  west  was  Igira,  overlooking  the  plain  of 
Luwamberri.  This  plain,  nearly  forty  miles  broad,  stretched 
n.n.w.  towards  the  Victoria  lake;    from  its  low  altitude  and 


HENRY  M  STANLEY.  159 

the  wave-worn  appearance  of  the  higher  elevations,  Mr.  Stanley 
concluded  that  it  must  have  been  at  one  time  a  long  arm  of 
the  great  lake.  A  plentiful  supply  of  meat  for  the  camp  was 
secured  in  crossing.  Mr.  Stanley  shot  one  day  a  giraffe  and  a 
small  antelope;  next  day,  five  zebra;  the  third  day,  on  the 
western  verge,  he  shot  two  gnu,  one  buffalo,  and  a  zebra, 
besides  two  spur-winged  geese,  four  guinea  -  fowl,  and  five 
ducks. 

When  Mombiti  in  the  Usukuma  country  was  reached,  pro- 
visions were  plentiful,  and  the  whole  expedition  revelled  in 
abundance.  Moving  northwards,  Usiha  was  reached  on  the 
17th  February.  'Usiha,'  says  Mr.  Stanley,  'is  the  commence- 
ment of  a  most  beautiful  pastoral  country,  which  terminates 
only  in  the  Victoria  Nyanza.  From  the  summit  of  one  of  the 
weird  grey  rock  piles  which  characterize  it,  one  may  enjoy  the 
unspeakable  fascination  of  an  apparently  boundless  horizon. 
On  all  sides  there  stretches  toward  it  the  face  of  a  vast  circle 
replete  with  peculiar  features,  of  detached  hills,  great  crag 
masses  of  riven  and  sharply-angled  rock,  and  outcropping 
mounds,  between  which  heaves  and  rolls  in  low,  broad  waves 
a  green,  grassy  plain,  whereon  feed  thousands  of  cattle 
scattered  about  in  small  herds.'  Mr.  Stanley  revelled  for  a 
while  in  this  prospect,  and  felt  'as  gratified  as  though  I 
possessed  the  wand  of  an  enchanter,  and  had  raised  around 
me  the  verdant  downs  of  Sussex.'  When  the  expedition 
started  again  over  these  fair  plains  on  the  1 9th,  they  moved  with 
a  greater  sense  of  freedom  than  they  had  hitherto  enjoyed  in 
marching  up  from  the  coast.  To  Abaddi,  which  was  reached 
on  2 1  st  February,  the  country  was  clear  and  open,  with  scarce 
a  tree  or  shrub  \  the  grass  was  only  an  inch  high.  The  native 
men  stalked  about  stark  naked,  but  the  women  were  clad  with 


160  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

stiff  skins  and  half- tanned  cow  hides.  The  plains  were 
whitened  with  herds  of  cattle,  and  flocks  of  goats  and  sheep. 
Marya  was  the  next  camp ;  here  the  natives  were  impertinent. 
Kagehyi,  on  Lake  Victoria  Nyanza,  was  reached  on  27  th 
February.  On  summing  up  the  number  of  miles  gone  over 
since  leaving  the  coast,  he  found  them  to  be  seven  hundred 
and  twenty. 

Fairly  settled  at  Kagehyi,  on  Speke  Gulf,  arrangements 
were  made  for  sailing  round  Lake  Victoria  Nyanza.  The  news 
spread  that  the  white  man  had  arrived,  and  traders  flocked  in 
to  sell  their  commodities,  consisting  of  dried  fish,  cassava,  ripe 
bananas,  potatoes,  and  yams.  Prince  Kaduma,  with  whom 
Stanley  had  several  interviews,  was  a  victim  of  pombe',  the 
native  beer,  made  from  fermented  grain  or  coarse  flour.  This 
he  drank  in  large  quantities  several  times  a  day,  generally 
reeling  to  his  cot  in  a  state  of  intoxication  every  night.  At 
first  Mr.  Stanley  had  hopes  that  Kaduma  would  accompany 
him  round  the  lake,  but  he  was  disappointed.  While  the 
Lady  Alice  was  being  prepared  for  the  journey,  the  natives 
treated  the  Wangwana  to  most  extraordinary  accounts  of 
people  dwelling  on  its  shores  who  were  gifted  with  tails,  of 
others  who  trained  enormous  and  fierce  dogs  for  war,  and  a 
tribe  of  cannibals  preferring  human  flesh  to  all  other  kinds  of 
food.  When  the  boat  was  provided  with  the  necessary  stores 
for  the  voyage,  ten  sailors  and  a  steersman  were  selected. 
Fred  Barker  and  Frank  Pocock  were  left  in  charge  of  the 
camp,  and  on  8th  March  1875  they  set  sail  on  that  part  of 
the  lake  since  known,  in  honour  of  its  discoverer,  as  Speke 
Gulf. 

In  coasting  round  the  lake  a  variety  of  fortunes  attended 
them.     At  Ugamba  they  were  troubled  with  the  natives,  many 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  161 

of  whom  were  intoxicated,  and  who  insisted  that  they  should 

visit  their  King  Kamoydah.     Escaping  from  them,  the  natives 

of  Namungi  showed  a  most   ardent   desire   to   do   business, 

selling  them  provisions  sufficient  for  three  days,  consisting  of 

bananas,  fowls  and  eggs,  and  sweet  maramba  or  native  wine. 

About   thirty   of  their  canoes,  the  crews  of  which  were  all 

intoxicated,  followed  them  for  a  few  miles.     Near  Mombiti 

they  were  mobbed  by  the  natives  with  intent  to  steal.     In  the 

bay  of  Buka,  at  the  north  end  of  the  lake,  the  Mtongoleh 

invited  them  to  his  village,  feasting  them  with  clotted  milk, 

mellow  and   ripe   bananas,  a   kid,  sweet  potatoes,  and  eggs, 

and  also  despatched  a  messenger  to  Mtesa,  king  of  Uganda, 

announcing  the  coming  of  a  stranger.     The  bay  of  Buka  was 

picturesque,,  the  margin  being  lined  by  waving  water-cane,  and 

up  to  the  highest  hill-top  all  was  verdure  of  varying  shades. 

Leaving  this   delightful   spot,  they  halted   at   Kirudo,  where 

they  were  met  by  six  beautiful  canoes  containing  a  deputation 

from  Mtesa.      The  commander,   a  fine  lusty  young  man  of 

about    twenty,    springing    into    their    boat,   knelt    down   and 

delivered  his  errand  in  the  following  words  : — 

*  The  kabaka  sends  me  with  many  salaams  to  you.     He  is 

in  great  hopes  that  you  will  visit  him,  and  has  encamped  at. 

Usavara,  that  he  may  be  near  the  lake  when  you  come.     He 

does  not  know  from  what  land  you  have  come,  but  I  have  a 

swift  messenger  with  a  canoe  wrho  will  not  stop  until  he  gives 

all  the  news  to  the  kabaka.     His  mother  dreamed  a  dream  a 

few  nights  ago,  and  in  her  dream  she  saw  a  white  man  on  this 

lake  in  a  boat  coming  this  way,  and  the  next  morning  she 

told   the  kabaka,  and,  lo !   you  have  come.     Give  me  your 

answer,  that  I  may  send  the  messenger.     Ywizanzi — yanzi — 

yanzi!'     (Thanks,  thanks,  thanks.) 
III.  L 


1 62  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

Rowing  to  the  village  of  Kadzi,  the  young  commander, 
after  receiving  all  the  news,  determined  to  show  his  power, 
and  ordered  the  sub-chief  of  the  village  to  bring  forth  the  best 
they  had  wherewith  to  treat  the  stranger.  Two  bullocks  and 
four  goats,  a  basketful  of  fat  mellow  bananas,  and  four  two- 
gallon  jars  of  maramba  were  brought,  and  ample  justice  was 
done  to  them.  Magassa  helped  himself  to  three  bullocks,  cut 
down  as  many  bananas  as  they  wished,  and  also  made  free 
amongst  the  chickens.  Mr.  Stanley  at  first  concluded  that 
this  must  be  a  wonderful  land,  when  the  mere  mention  of  the 
kabakcCs  name  had  such  an  effect.  Arrived  at  Usavara,  the 
kabakcCs  hunting  village,  they  received  an  ostentatious  wel- 
come from  King  Mtesa.  Mr.  Stanley  was  strongly  impressed 
with  his  power  and  intelligence.  '  Mtesa,'  he  writes,  ■  has 
impressed  me  as  being  an  intelligent  and  distinguished  prince, 
who,  if  aided  in  time  by  virtuous  philanthropists,  will  do  more 
for  Central  Africa  than  fifty  years  of  gospel  teaching,  unaided 
by  such  authority,  can  do.  I  think  I  see  in  him  the  light  that 
shall  lighten  the  darkness  of  this  benighted  region ;  a  prince 
well  worthy  of  the  most  hearty  sympathies  that  Europe  can 
give  him.  ...  I  saw  over  3000  soldiers  of  Mtesa  nearly  half 
civilised.  I  saw  about  a  hundred  chiefs  who  might  be  classed 
in  the  same  scale  as  the  men  of  Zanzibar  and  Oman,  clad  in 
as  rich  robes,  and  armed  in  the  same  fashion,  and  have 
witnessed  with  astonishment  such  order  and  law  as  is  obtain- 
able in  semi-civilised  countries.  All  this  is  the  result  of  a  poor 
Moslem's  labour ;  his  name  is  Muley  bin  Salim.  He  it  was 
who  first  began  teaching  here  the  doctrines  of  Islam.' 

The  personal  appearance  of  this  powerful  emperor  he  has 
thus  sketched : — *  In  person  Mtesa  is  tall,  probably  6  feet  1 
inch,  and   slender.      He   has  very  intelligent   and   agreeable 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  163 

features,  reminding  me  of  some  of  the  faces  of  the  great  stone 
images  at  Thebes,  and  of  the  statues  in  the  museum  at  Cairo. 
He  has  the  same  fulness  of  lips,  but  their  grossness  is  relieved 
by  the  general  expression  of  amiability  blended  with  dignity 
that  pervades  his  face ;  and  the  large,  lustrous,  lambent  eyes 
that  lend  it  a  strange  beauty,  and  are  typical  of  the  race  from 
which  I  believe  him  to  be  sprung.' 

It  seemed  to  Stanley,  when  he  saw  the  brown  skins  of  the 
natives,  their  brown  robes  and  canoes,  that  brown  must  be  the 
national  colour.  A  young  crocodile  had  been  found  some 
little  distance  away.  *  Now,  Stamlee,'  said  Mtesa,  *  show  my 
women  how  white  men  can  shoot.'  The  explorer  was  fortunate 
enough  to  shoot  the  crocodile,  nearly  severing  its  head  from 
its  body  at  a  distance  of  100  yards.  From  the  hunting  lodges 
of  Usavara,  Stanley  followed  Mtesa  to  his  capital,  a  cluster  of 
huts  situated  on  a  hill-top,  called  Rabaga.  The  palace  was  a 
spacious,  lofty,  barn-like  structure.  The  view  from  the  hill- 
top was  charming.  'On  all  sides  rolled  in  grand  waves  a 
voluptuous  land  of  sunshine,  and  plenty,  and  early  summer 
verdure,  cooled  by  soft  breezes  from  the  great  equatorial  fresh- 
water sea.  Isolated  hill-cones,  similar  to  that  of  Rabaga,  or 
square  tabular  masses,  rose  up  from  the  beautiful  landscape  to 
attract,  like  mysteries,  the  curious  stranger's  observation  \  and 
villages  and  banana  groves  of  still  fresher  green,  far  removed 
on  the  crest  of  distant  swelling  ridges,  announced  that  Mtesa 
owned  a  land  worth  loving.  Dark  sinuous  lines  traced  the 
winding  courses  of  deep  ravines  filled  with  trees,  and  grassy 
extents  of  gently  undulating  ground  marked  the  pastures ; 
broader  depressions  suggested  the  cultivated  gardens  and  the 
grain  fields;  while,  on  the  far  verge  of  the  horizon,  we  saw 
the  beauty  and  the  charm  of  the  land  melting  into  the  blue  of 


1*4  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

distance. \  Round  the  imperial  palace,  which  was  spacious 
and  lofty,  were  clean  courtyards,  with  quarters  for  the  harem 
and  the  guards,  with  a  cane  enclosure  surrounding  all.  In  the 
course  of  his  interviews  with  Mtesa,  Mr.  Stanley  explained 
to  the  great  African  potentate  the  leading  doctrines  of  the 
Christian  religion,  leaving  it  with  himself  and  his  chiefs  to 
decide  as  to  whether  Christ  or  Mohammed  was  the  worthier 
character.  He  also  sketched  a  history  of  religious  beliefs  from 
Adam  to  Mohammed,  and  commenced  the  translation  of  the 
Ten  Commandments.  While  this  lasted,  Mtesa  and  his 
principal  chiefs  were  so  absorbed  that  little  business  was 
done. 

During  Stanley's  residence,  the  court  of  Mtesa  was  visited 
by  another  white  man,  M.  Linant  de  Bellefonds,  a  member  of 
the  Gordon-Pasha  Expedition.  The  two  men  passed  many 
pleasant  hours  together,  joining  in  the  religious  conversations 
with  Mtesa,  and  agreeing  so  closely  in  what  was  said  as  to 
astonish  him.  Stanley  parted  with  Linant  on  the  morning  of 
17th  April  1875,  starting  for  Kagehyi  with  the  promise  that  he 
would  return  again  within  a  month.  Unforeseen  circumstances 
prevented  his  return  at  so  early  a  date.  He  afterwards  found 
that  Colonel  Linant  had  remained  six  weeks  waiting  for  him. 
In  afterwards  journeying  northwards,  he  was  killed  by  the 
natives. 

Mr.  Stanley,  in  letters  written  to  the  Daily  Telegraph  and 
the  New  York  Herald  from  Usavara,  made  a  strong  appeal  for 
a  Christian  mission  to  be  sent  to  King  Mtesa  *  It  is  not/  he 
wrote,  *  the  mere  preacher,  however,  that  is  wanted  here.  The 
bishops  of  Great  Britain  collected,  with  all  the  classic  youth 
of  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  would  effect  nothing  by  mere  talk 
with  the  intelligent  people  of  Uganda.      It  is  the  practical 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  165 


Christian  tutor,  who  can  teach  people  how  to  become 
Christians,  cure  their  diseases,  construct  dwellings,  understand 
and  exemplify  agriculture,  and  turn  his  hand  to  anything,  like 
a  sailor, — this  is  the  man  who  is  wanted.  Such  an  one,  if  he 
can  be  found,  would  become  the  saviour  of  Africa.  He  must 
be  tied  to  no  church  or  sect,  but  profess  God  and  His  Son  and 
the  moral  law;  and  live  a  blameless  Christian  life,  inspired 
by  liberal  principles,  charity  to  all  men,  and  devout  faith  in 
Heaven.' 

In   the   return   journey  to  Kagehyi,   a   halt  was   made   at 
Makongo,  on  the  coast  of  Uzongora.      They  found  that  the 
place  nestled  in  a  sheltered  nook,  in  a  bay-like  indentation  of 
the  lofty  mountain  wall,  and  was  crowded  with  banana  groves 
and  huts.     The  natives  appeared  friendly  at  first ;  but  before 
Stanley  left,  they  tried  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  him  regarding  the 
drawing  up  of  their  canoes  on  the  beach,  and  they  made  a 
show  of  fighting.      A  better  understanding  prevailed  before 
leaving ;  and  the  chief  of  Makongo  presented  them  with  ten 
bunches  of  green  bananas,  or   sufficient  for   one   day's  pro- 
visions.     Visiting    Musira    Island,    about    three    miles   from 
Makongo,  Mr.  Stanley,  with  all  the  ardour  of  a  boy,  enjoyed 
a  solitary  exploration  of  the  place.     The  island  he  found  to  be 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  long  and  about  two  hundred 
yards  wide.     Expatiating  on  the  prospect,  he  wrote  : — *  It  is  a 
spot  from  which,  undisturbed,  the  eye  may  rove  over  one  of 
the  strangest  yet  fairest  portions  of  Africa — hundreds  of  square 
miles  of  beautiful  lake  scenes ;  a  great  length  of  grey  plateau 
wall,  upright  and  steep,  but   indented  with  exquisite  inlets, 
half   surrounded   with    embowering    plantains ;    hundreds   of 
square  miles  of  pastoral  upland,  dotted  thickly  with  villages 
and  groves  of  banana.     From  my  lofty  eyrie  I  can  see  herds 


1 66  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

upon  herds  of  cattle,  and  many  minute  specks,  white  and 
black,  which  can  be  nothing  but  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats. 
I  can  also  see  pale-blue  columns  of  ascending  smoke  from  the 
fires,  and  upright  thin  figures  moving  about.  Secure  on  my 
lofty  throne,  I  can  view  their  movements,  and  laugh  at  the 
ferocity  of  the  savage  hearts  which  beat  in  those  dark  figures ; 
for  I  am  a  part  of  nature  now,  and  for  the  present  as  invulner- 
able as  itself.  As  little  do  they  know  that  human  eyes  survey 
their  forms  from  the  summit  of  this  lake-girt  isle,  as  that  the 
eyes  of  the  Supreme  in  heaven  are  upon  them.  How  long,  I 
wonder,  shall  the  people  of  these  lands  remain  thus  ignorant 
of  Him  who  created  the  gorgeous  sunlit  world  they  look  upon 
each  day  from  their  lofty  upland  ?  How  long  shall  their 
untamed  ferocity  be  a  barrier  to  the  Gospel;  and  how  long 
shall  they  remain  unvisited  by  the  Teacher?  What  a  land 
they  possess,  and  what  an  inland  sea !  How  steamers  afloat 
on  the  lake  might  cause  Ururi  to  shake  hands  with  Uzongora, 
and  Uganda  with  Usukuma ;  make  the  wild  Wavuma  friends 
with  the  Waziuza,  and  unite  the  Wakerewe  with  the  Wagana. 
A  great  trading  port  might  then  spring  up  on  the  Shimeyu, 
whence  the  coffee  of  Uzongora ;  the  ivory,  sheep,  and  goats  of 
Ugeyeya,  Usoga,  Uvuma,  and  Uganda;  the  cattle  of  Uwya, 
Karagwe,  Usagara,  Ihangiro,  and  Usukuma ;  the  myrrh,  cassia, 
and  furs  and  hides  of  Uganda  and  Uddu;  the  rice  of 
Ukerewe ;  and  the  grain  of  Uziuza,  might  be  exchanged  for 
the  fabrics  brought  from  the  coast, — all  the  land  be  redeemed 
from  wilderness,  the  industry  and  energy  of  the  natives  stimu- 
lated, the  havoc  of  the  slave  trade  stopped,  and  all  the 
countries  round  about  permeated  with  the  nobler  ethics  of  a 
higher  humanity.  But  at  present  the  hands  of  the  people  are 
lifted — murder  in  their  hearts — one  against  the  other  ;  ferocity 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  167 

is  kindled  at  sight  of  the  wayfarer \  the  people  of  Ugeyeya  and 
Wasoga  go  stark  naked  \  Mtesa  impales,  burns,  and  maims  his 
victims;  the  Wirigedi  lie  in  wait  along  their  shores  for  the 
stranger,  and  the  slingers  of  the  islands  practise  their  art 
against  him ;  the  Wakara  poison  anew  their  deadly  arrows  at 
sight  of  a  canoe ;  and  each  tribe,  with  rage  and  hate  in  its 
heart,  remains  aloof  from  the  other.  "  Verily,  the  dark  places 
of  the  earth  are  full  of  the  habitations  of  cruelty."  \ 

They  next  touched  at  Alice  island,  which  they  found  clothed 
with  abundance  of  coarse  grass.  '  The  ravines  and  hollows 
are  choked  with  a  luxuriance  of  vegetable  life, — trees,  plants, 
ferns,  ground  orchids,  and  wild  pine-apples/  The  natives 
here  asked  such  an  exorbitant  price  for  what  they  had  to  sell, 
that  they  were  unable  to  secure  more  than  a  few  ears  of  corn. 
A  miserable  night  was  passed,  after  leaving  Alice  island,  at 
Baker's  island,  the  easternmost  of  the  Bumbireh  group.  Bum- 
bireh  is  about  eleven  miles  in  length  by  two  miles  greatest 
breadth,  containing  about  fifty  small  villages,  with  an  average 
population  of  about  4000.  Mr.  Stanley  and  his  company,  with 
hunger  gnawing  at  their  vitals,  were  determined  to  risk  some- 
thing in  order  to  secure  a  supply  of  food.  In  spite  of  the  fact 
that  the  natives  were  rushing  down  the  slopes  and  uttering 
fierce  ejaculations,  they  pulled  into  a  cove  near  the  south-east 
end  of  Bumbireh.  Stanley  ordered  the  men  to  cease  rowing; 
but  they,  saying  that  all  the  noise  made  by  the  natives  was  but 
savage  bluster,  pushed  ashore.  As  the  boat  neared  the  water's 
edge,  some  of  the  men  lifted  great  stones,  and  others  prepared 
their  bows ;  these  they  dropped  after  an  exchange  of  greetings 
and  pretended  friendship.  Suddenly  the  boat  was  seized  and 
dragged  about  twenty  yards  high  and  dry  over  the  rocky  beach, 
much  to  the  astonishment  of  those  inside.     '  Then  ensued  a 


1 68  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

scene,'  says  Stanley,  'which  beggars  description.  Pande- 
monium— all  its  devils  armed — raged  around  us.  A  forest  of 
spears  was  levelled ;  thirty  or  forty  bows  were  drawn  taut  ;  as 
many  barbed  arrows  seemed  already  on  the  wing;  thick, 
knotty  clubs  waved  over  our  heads;  two  hundred  screaming 
black  demons  jostled  with  each  other  and  struggled  for  room 
to  vent  their  fury,  or  for  an  opportunity  to  deliver  one  crushing 
blow  or  thrust  at  us.' 

Their  quiet  demeanour  had  an  effect.  Mr.  Stanley  assumed 
a  resigned  air,  though  he  still  retained  his  revolvers.  Baraka 
addressed  them  in  these  words :  •  What,  my  friends,  ails  you  ? 
Do  you  fear  empty  hands  and  smiling  people  like  us  ?  We  are 
friends ;  we  came  as  friends  to  buy  food,  two  or  three  bananas, 
a  few  mouthfuls  of  grain,  or  potatoes,  or  cassava,  and,  if  you 
permit  us,  we  shall  depart  as  friends.'  The  oars  were  taken 
away  from  the  boat,  and  they  were  thus  rendered  helpless ; 
a  council  was  held  over  them,  when  it  was  decided  that  they 
were  to  remain  there  until  the  following  day.  Later  in  that 
day,  by  a  dexterous  movement,  Stanley  managed  to  dodge  the 
natives  and  push  the  boat  forward  into  the  lake.  The  natives 
wrere  baffled  and  furious,  and  rushing  down  to  the  edge  of 
the  lake,  launched  their  canoes,  and  pursued  them  vigorously. 
Several  shots  were  fired,  killing  five  or  six  of  the  natives, 
when  they  attempted  nothing  further.  On  resuming  their 
paddles,  they  heard  a  voice  cry  out,  'Go  and  die  in  the 
Nyanza,'  and  several  arrows  fell  harmlessly  near  them. 

Seventy-six  hours  after  leaving  Alice  island  they  anchored 
on  an  uninhabited  island,  where  provisions  were  secured  after 
their  long  fast.  The  camp  at  Kagehyi  was  reached  on  6th 
May,  much  to  the  joy  of  the  men  there.  To  his  sorrow, 
however,  Stanley  found  that   Fred.  Barker   and  two  faithful 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  169 

servants  were  dead.  Affairs  had  gone  well  otherwise  in  the 
camp :  the  stores  had  been  economically  dealt  out,  and  the 
Wangwana  had  recovered  from  the  miserable  attenuation 
caused  by  their  march  from  the  coast,  and  were  now  robust 
and  fat.  Stanley,  after  his  return,  was  postrated  by  fever, 
which  weakened  him  much,  and  reduced  him  about  seven 
pounds  in  weight. 

Making  a  bargain  with  Lukongeh,  king  of  Ukerewe,  for  a 
certain  number  of  canoes,  Stanley  prepared  to  embark  on  the 
return  journey  to  Uganda  as  arranged.  Many  of  these 
canoes  were  unseaworthy,  and  on  the  first  night  five  of  them 
were  lost,  with  five  guns,  one  case  of  ammunition,  and  twelve 
hundred  pounds  of  grain.  No  lives  were  lost,  owing  to  the 
energetic  measures  taken  to  reach  the  island  of  Miandereh. 
In  order  to  punish  the  natives  of  Bumbireh  for  their  former 
dastardly  conduct,  and  for  the  killing  of  one  of  his  men  and 
the  wounding  of  other  eight,  Stanley  took  the  opportunity  of 
inflicting  a  severe  blow  upon  them,  fighting  with  them  from 
the  lake  until  they  were  intimidated.  Six  of  his  men  sub- 
sequently died  from  the  effects  of  their  wounds  before  reaching 
Uganda. 

The  result  of  Stanley's  circumnavigation  of  the  Victoria 
Nyanza  was  to  prove  that  there  is  but  one  outlet  from  the 
lake,  the  Ripon  Falls.  There  are  three  rivers,  the  Nagombwa, 
the  Zedziwa,  and  the  Mwerango,  all  of  which  flow  into  the 
lake.  *  The  Nagombwa  empties  into  the  Victoria  Nile  not 
far  from  Urondogani ;  the  Zedziwa  empties  into  the  Victoria 
Nile  near  Urondogani ;  and  Mwerango  flows  into  the  Mianja, 
the  Mianja  flows  into  the  Kafu,  and  the  Kafu  into  the  Victoria 
Nile,  somewhere  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Rionga's  island/ 

Long  before  they  arrived  for  the  second  time  in  Uganda, 


170  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


greetings  had  been  received  from  King  Mtesa,  proving  the 
strength  of  his  friendship.  On  their  arrival,  they  found  him 
at  war  with  the  rebellious  people  of  Uvuma,  who  had  been 
refusing  to  pay  tribute,  had  harassed  the  coast  of  Chagwe, 
and  stolen  his  people,  *  selling  them  afterwards  for  a  few 
bunches  of  bananas.'  Mtesa  also  mentioned  that  it  was  not 
customary  in  Uganda  to  permit  any  stranger  to  leave  until 
the  war  in  which  they  were  engaged  was  finished.  When  the 
war  was  finished,  he  would  send  a  chief  with  an  army  to 
conduct  him  by  the  shortest  route  to  the  Nyanza  (Muta 
N'zige).  Mr.  Stanley,  assured  that  the  war  would  not  last 
long,  resolved  to  stay  and  witness  its  progress,  and  in  the 
meantime  endeavour  to  gain  information  about  the  country 
and  the  people.  In  computing  Mtesa's  strength,  he  cal- 
culated that  an  army  of  150,000  warriors  had  been  gathered 
together.  Including  women  and  children,  there  could  not 
be  fewer  than  250,000  souls  in  Mtesa's  camp.  Stanley  was 
the  witness  of  a  fight  in  canoes.  The  Uganda  war  fleet 
numbered  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  large  and  small 
canoes.  The  largest  canoe  was  seventy-two  feet  in  length, 
seven  feet  three  inches  in  breadth,  and  four  feet  deep  within. 
It  could  accommodate  sixty-four  paddlers  besides  the  pilot. 
There  were  over  a  hundred  canoes  between  fifty  and  seventy 
feet  in  length,  and  about  fifty  between  thirty  and  fifty  feet 
long;  the  other  eighty  canoes  were  of  various  sizes,  from 
eighteen  to  thirty  feet  long.  They  would  require  a  force  of 
nearly  8600  men  to  man  them. 

In  the  intervals  of  warfare  between  the  Waganda  and  the 
Wavuma,  Stanley  had  several  interesting  conversations  with 
Mtesa.  A  talk  on  the  nature  of  angels  led  to  a  reference  to 
the  Bible,  and  from  this  reference  sprang  a  desire  on  the 


HENR  Y  M.  STANLE  V.  171 

part  of  Mtesa  to  possess  a  copy  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  A 
boy  named  Dallington,  a  pupil  of  the  Universities  Mission  at 
Zanzibar,  was  started  with  the  translation  of  a  portion  of  the 
Bible  into  Kiswahili.  With  abundance  of  writing  material 
at  hand,  the  translation  made  rapid  progress,  and  when  com- 
pleted, Mtesa  was  in  possession  of  an  abridged  Protestant 
Bible  in  Kiswahili,  containing  all  the  principal  events  from 
the  creation  to  the  crucifixion  of  Christ.  St.  Luke's  Gospel 
was  given  in  a  complete  form.  When  this  Bible  was  com- 
piled, Mtesa  called  his  chiefs  together.  After  giving  a  history 
of  his  life  in  brief,  relating  his  conversion  from  gross  heathenism 
to  Mohammedanism,  he  said  :  '  Now,  God  be  thanked,  a  white 
man,  "Stamlee,"  has  come  to  Uganda  with  a  book  older 
than  the  Koran  of  Mohammed,  and  Stamlee  says  that 
Mohammed  was  a  liar,  and  much  of  his  book  taken  from  this ; 
and  this  boy  and  Idi  have  read  to  me  all  that  Stamlee  has 
read  to  them  from  this  book,  and  I  find  that  it  is  a  great  deal 
better  than  the  book  of  Mohammed,  besides  it  is  the  first  and 
oldest  book.  The  prophet  Moses  wrote  some  of  it  a  long, 
long  time  before  Mohammed  was  even  heard  of,  and  the 
book  was  finished  long  before  Mohammed  was  born.  As 
Kintu,  our  first  king,  was  a  long  time  before  me,  so  Moses  was 
before  Mohammed.  Now  I  want  you,  my  chiefs  and  soldiers, 
to  tell  me  what  we  shall  do.  Shall  we  believe  in  Isa  (Jesus) 
and  Musa  (Moses),  or  in  Mohammed  ?  ' 

Chambarago  replied  :  *  Let  us  take  that  which  is  the  best.' 
The  Katekiro   said  :    *  We   know   not  which   is   the    best. 
The  Arabs  say  their  book  is  the  best,  and  white  men  say  their 
book  is  the  best ;  how  then  can  we  know  which  speaks  the 
truth  ?  ■ 

After  some  further  discussion,  they  all  said,  *  We  will  take 


172  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

the  white  man's  book.'  So  Mtesa  renounced  his  old  religion 
of  Islamism,  and  professed  himself  a  convert,  announcing  his 
determination  to  adhere  to  his  new  religion,  and  build  a 
church,  and  do  all  in  his  power  to  promote  Christian  sentiment 
amongst  his  people.  Stanley  offered  to  release  Dallington 
from  his  service,  in  order  that  he  might  remain  with  Mtesa 
and  read  the  Bible  to  him.  On  parting  with  him  at  this  time, 
he  said,  '  Stamlee,  say  to  the  white  people,  when  you  write 
to  them,  that  I  am  like  a  man  sitting  in  darkness,  or  born 
blind,  and  that  all  I  ask  is  that  I  may  be  taught  how  to  see, 
and  I  shall  continue  a  Christian  while  I  live/  Stanley 
admitted,  however,  that  his  conversion  was  only  nominal,  and 
that  a  few  months'  talk  about  Christ  and  His  work  upon  earth 
was  not  sufficient  to  eradicate  the  evils  consequent  upon 
thirty  -  five  years'  sensuous  and  brutal  indulgence.  The 
presence  of  a  painstaking  missionary  would  be  required. 

The  war  between  Mtesa  and  the  Wavuma  was  terminated 
on  the  13th  October  1875.  Stanley  helped  this  consummation 
not  a  little  by  inventing  a  floating  fort,  which  moved  towards 
the  Wavuma,  garrisoned  with  214  men,  but  all  of  whom  were 
hidden  within.  Steering  directly  towards  the  island  of  Ingira, 
where  the  enemy  was  stationed,  a  mysterious  and  stentorian 
voice  was  heard  to  shout  from  within,  addressing  the  Wavuma  : 
'  Speak.  What  will  you  do  ?  Will  you  make  peace  and  sub- 
mit to  Mtesa,  or  shall  we  blow  up  the  island  ?  Be  quick  and 
answer.' 

This  structure,  totally  unlike  anything  previously  seen  in 
these  waters,  appealed  to  their  superstitious  feelings,  and  the 
reply  came  from  a  chief :  '  Enough ;  let  Mtesa  be  satisfied. 
We  will  collect  the  tribute  to-day,  and  will  come  to  Mtesa. 
Return,  O  spirit ;  the  war  is  ended  ! '     At   these   words  the 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  173 

strange  structure  moved  back  to  the  cove  where  it  had  been 
constructed  amidst  the  shouts  of  the  assembled  multitude. 
The  tribute,  consisting  of  several  tusks  of  ivory  and  two  young 
girls,  was  paid,  and  so  the  war  ended. 

The  average  Uganda  peasant,  according  to  Stanley,  appears 
to  be  healthy  and  contented.  The  productions  of  the  land  are 
ivory,  coffee,  gums,  resins,  myrrh;  lion,  leopard,  otter,  and 
goat  skins,  ox -hides,  snow-white  monkey-skins,  bark  cloth, 
cattle,  sheep,  and  goats.  The  principal  vegetable  productions 
are  the  papaw,  banana,  plantain,  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  peas, 
beans,  melons,  cucumbers,  vegetable  marrow,  manioc,  and 
tomatoes.  The  grains  found  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
capital  are — wheat,  rice,  maize,  sesamum,  millet,  and  vetches. 
The  soil  of  the  lake  coast  region  is  described  as  of  inexhaustible 
fertility.  The  banana  plant  is  one  of  the  most  important  and 
useful  to  the  natives  of  Uganda,  There  are  several  varieties, 
and  one  which  is  unfit  for  food  is  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
wine.  The  fronds  of  the  banana  serve  as  thatch  for  houses, 
fences  for  enclosures,  and  as  bedding.  They  are  also  used  as 
table-cloths,  wrappers,  and  pudding-cloths.  The  stems  are 
used  for  fences  and  enclosures.  The  pith  or  heart  of  the 
stalk  forms  an  excellent  sponge.  The  fibres  are  used  as 
cord;  shields  and  sun-hats  are  also  made  from  the  stalk. 
*  Besides  its  cool,  agreeable  shade,'  writes  Mr.  Stanley,  '  the 
banana  plant  will  supply  a  peasant  of  Uganda  with  bread, 
potatoes,  dessert,  wine,  beer,  medicine,  house  and  fence,  bed, 
cloth,  cooking-pot,  table-cloth,  parcel  wrapper,  thread,  cord, 
rope,  sponge,  bath,  shield,  sun-hat,  even  a  canoe — in  fact, 
almost  everything  but  meat  and  iron.  With  the  banana  plant 
he  is  happy,  fat,  and  thriving ;  without  it,  he  is  a  famished, 
discontented,  woe-begone  wretch,  hourly  expecting  death.' 


174  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS, 

After  a  stay  of  three  months  and  five  days  with  Mtesa, 
Stanley  joined  the  expedition  at  Dumo,  and  found  that 
Frank  Pocock  and  the  men  had  enjoyed  excellent  health. 
All  this  time  they  had  been  sustained  free  of  cost  by  the 
emperor ;  so  Stanley  sent  back  his  escort  to  Mtesa,  with 
a  present  of  four  bales  of  cloth  and  140  lbs.  of  choice 
beads. 

Mtesa  had  sent  Sambuzi,  provided  with  an  escort  of  over 
two  thousand  warriors,  with  the  command  to  take  Stanley  to 
Lake  Nyanza  or  Muta  N'zige.  The  expedition  was  once  more 
re-formed,  the  loads  were  re-packed,  and  the  boats  prepared 
for  transport  overland.  An  india-rubber  pontoon  previously 
in  use  was  condemned,  and  its  place  was  supplied  by  a  new 
and  light  canoe,  named  the  Livingstone.  Seven  days  after 
his  arrival  at  Dumo,  Stanley  began  his  march  to  the  general 
rendezvous  at  the  Katonga  river,  where  they  met  with  Sambuzi 
in  command  of  King  Mtesa's  escort.  Sambuzi  proved  dilatory 
in  his  movements,  and  was  haughty  in  his  demeanour.  At 
Kawanga,  on  the  frontier  of  Uganda,  where  the  forces  had 
been  collected,  the  exploring  army  numbered  2800  strong. 
On  1st  January  1876  the  whole  band  filed  out  from  under 
the  plantain  shades  of  Kawanga,  each  detachment  being  under 
the  flag  of  its  respective  leader.  Entering  hostile  Unyoro,  the 
difference  in  the  dwelling-places  and  in  the  food,  as  compared 
with  Uganda,  was  at  once  apparent.  Instead  of  living  chiefly 
on  bananas,  their  place  was  supplied  by  sweet  potatoes  and 
salt,  and  such  other  vegetables  as  could  be  readily  obtained. 
On  the  5th  January,  crossing  the  river  Katonga,  from  the 
summit  of  a  tall  hill  in  Western  Benga  a  faint  view  was 
obtained  of  an  enormous  blue  mass  afar  off,  which  was  called 
the   Great    Mountain,    in   the   country  of  Gambaragara.     In 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  175 

honour  of  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  expedition,  Mr.  Stanley 
named  it  the  Gordon-Bennett. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  several  villages  in  Southern 
Unyoro,  several  deep  pits,  with  small  circular  mouths,  were 
discovered,  leading  downwards  to  roomy  excavations.  The 
expedition  camped  on  the  banks  of  the  Mpanga  river  on 
8th  January.  This  river,  rising  near  the  base  of  Mount 
Gordon-Bennett,  flows  east  by  Mount  Edwin  Arnold,  unites 
with  the  Rasango  river,  and  falls  into  Beatrice  Gulf  on  the 
Muta  N'zige.  Ankori  or  Usagora  was  the  next  district 
entered.  The  nights  grew  colder,  the  thermometer  fell,  and 
fogs  now  prevailed.  The  march  of  9th  January  brought  them 
into  a  singularly  wild  and  beautifully  picturesque  country — 
what  Mr.  Stanley  has  termed  the  Switzerland  of  Africa.  By 
the  nth  January  they  had  sighted  the  lake.  A  panic  seized 
hold  of  Mtesa's  escort,  however,  and  they  showed  decided 
symptoms  of  a  wish  to  return.  The  warlike  attitude  of  the 
tribes  around  the  lake  had  fostered  this  desire.  For  thus 
attempting  to  turn  back,  Sambuzi  was  punished  by  Mtesa, 
after  Stanley  had  remonstrated  with  him. 

Returning,  Stanley  reached  Kafurro  in  Karagwe,  which 
owes  its  importance  to  being  the  seat  of  several  rich  Arab 
traders.  In  the  neighbourhood  is  situated  Chief  Rumanika's 
village,  which  they  visited.  *  The  sons  of  Rumanika,'  writes 
Stanley,  'nourished  on  a  milk  diet,  were  in  remarkably  good 
condition.  Their  unctuous  skins  shone  as  though  the  tissues 
of  fat  beneath  were  dissolving  in  the  heat,  and  their  rounded 
bodies  were  as  taut  as  a  drumhead.  Their  eyes  were  large, 
and  beaming  and  lustrous  with  life,  yet  softened  by  an  extreme 
gentleness  of  expression.  The  sculptor  might  have  obtained 
from  anv  of  these  royal  boys  a  dark  model  for  another  statue 


176  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

to  rival  the  classic  Antinous.'  Mr.  Stanley  was  charmed  with 
the  gentleness  and  tenderness  of  Rumanika.  His  face 
reminded  him  of  a  deep,  still  well,  or  of  a  Christian  patriarch 
or  saint  of  old,  and  the  tones  of  his  voice  were  calm.  In  this 
respect  he  was  widely  different  from  the  impulsive  Mtesa, 
whose  eyes,  when  in  a  raging  fit,  were  like  ■  balls  of  fire  and 
large  as  fists,'  and  whose  words  were  *  like  gunpowder.'  While 
staying  here,  a  boat  and  canoe  race  was  undertaken.  On  the 
day  following  Mr.  Stanley  sailed  round  the  Windermere  lake ; 
its  extreme  length,  when  at  its  fullest,  is  about  eight  miles,  and 
its  extreme  breadth  about  two  and  a  half.  The  six  hot  springs 
of  Mtagata  were  also  visited.  These  springs  enjoy  a  great 
repute  amongst  invalids  throughout  the  districts  of  Karagwe 
and  the  neighbouring  countries.  On  returning  to  Rumanika's 
quarters,  Stanley  was  treated  to  a  good  deal  of  geographical 
information  of  a  fabulous  character. 

Rumanika  possessed  an  armoury  and  museum,  containing 
arms  and  curiosities.  The  armoury  was  a  dome -shaped 
circular  hut,  about  30  feet  in  diameter,  neatly  thatched  with 
straw.  It  contained  amongst  other  things  sixteen  rude  brass 
figures  of  ducks,  with  copper  wings ;  ten  representations  of 
elands,  and  ten  headless  cows  of  copper;  bill-hooks  of  iron, 
doubled-bladed  spears,  fly-flaps  set  in  iron,  and  massive 
cleaver-looking  knives.  Some  exquisite  native  cloths  were  as 
fine  as  cotton  shirting,  and  were  coloured  black  and  red,  in 
patterns  and  stripes.  There  were  also  drinking-cups,  goblets, 
trenchers,  and  milk-dishes  of  wood.  A  revolving  rifle,  the  gift 
of  Captain  Speke,  had  also  an  honoured  place  amongst  the 
collection. 

Bidding  a  regretful  good-bye  to  Rumanika,  and  after  a 
month's  rest  at  Kafurro,  the  journey  was  resumed  on  the  26th 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  177 


March.  On  the  27th,  Mr.  Stanley  shot  three  rhinoceroses, 
which  furnished  supplies  of  meat  for  their  journey  through  the 
wilderness  of  Uhimba.  On  entering  Western  Usui,  there  was 
a  famine,  and  an  extravagant  amount  of  cloth  had  to  be 
dealt  out  for  four  days'  rations.  On  the  7th  April  the  journey 
was  continued  in  a  southerly  direction. 

The  following  is  Mr.  Stanley's  summary  of  progress  made 
up  till  this  time  : — *  From  the  17th  January  1875  up  to  7th 
April   1876,  we  had   been   engaged  in   tracing  the   extreme 
southern  sources  of  the  Nile,   from  the  marshy  plains   and 
cultivated  uplands,  where  they  are  borne  down  to  the  mighty 
reservoir  called  the  Victoria  Nyanza.      We  had  circumnavi- 
gated the  entire  expanse ;  penetrated  to  every  bay,  inlet,  and 
creek ;  become  acquainted  with  almost  every  variety  of  wild 
human   nature — the   mild   and   placable,   the    ferocious   and 
impracticably  savage,  the  hospitable  and  the  inhospitable,  the 
generous-souled  as  well  as  the   ungenerous ;   we  had  viewed 
their  methods  of  war,  and  had  witnessed  them  imbruing  their 
hands  in  each  other's  blood  with  savage  triumph  and  glee  ;  we 
had  been  five  times  sufferers  by  their  lust  for  war  and  murder, 
and  had  lost  many  men  through  their  lawlessness  and  ferocity ; 
we  had  travelled  hundreds  of  miles  to  and  fro  on  foot  along 
the   northern   coast  of  the  Victorian  sea ;    and,  finally,  had 
explored  with  a  large  force  the  strange  countries  lying  between 
the  two  lakes,  Muta  N'zige  and  the  Victoria,  and  had  been 
permitted  to  gaze  upon  the  arm  of  the  lake  named  by  me 
"  Beatrice  Gulf,"  and  to  drink  of  its  sweet  waters.     We  had 
then  returned  from  further  quest  in  that  direction,  unable  to 
find  a  peaceful  resting-place  on  the  lake  shores,  and  had  struck 
south  from  the  Katonga  lagoon  down  to  the  Alexandra  Nile, 
the  principal  affluent  of  the  Victoria  lake,  which  drains  nearly 

III.  M 


1 78  FA  MO  US  TEA  VELLERS. 

all  the  waters  from  the  west  and  south-west.  We  had  made 
a  patient  survey  of  over  one-half  of  its  course,  and  then,  owing 
to  want  of  the  means  to  feed  the  rapacity  of  the  churlish  tribes 
which  dwell  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Alexandra  Nyanza,  and  to 
our  reluctance  to  force  our  way  against  the  will  of  the  natives, 
opposing  unnecessarily  our  rifles  to  their  spears  and  arrows,  we 
had  been  compelled,  on  the  7th  April,  to  bid  adieu  to  the 
lands  which  supply  the  Nile,  and  to  turn  our  faces  towards  the 
Tanganyika.  ...  I  have  not  ventured  beyond  the  limits 
assigned  me,  viz.  the  exploration  of  the  southern  sources  of  the 
Nile,  and  the  solution  of  the  problem  left  unsolved  by  Speke 
and  Grant,  "Is  the  Victoria  Nyanza  one  lake,  or  does  it 
consist  of  five  lakes,  as  reported  by  Livingstone,  Burton,  and 
others  ? "  This  problem  has  been  satisfactorily  solved,  and 
Speke  has  now  the  full  glory  of  having  discovered  the  largest 
inland  sea  on  the  continent  of  Africa,  also  its  principal 
affluent,  as  well  as  the  outlet.  I  must  also  give  him  credit 
for  having  understood  the  geography  of  the  countries  he 
travelled  through  better  than  any  of  those  who  so  persistently 
assailed  his  hypothesis ;  and  I  here  record  my  admiration  of 
the  geographical  genius  that  from  mere  native  report  first 
sketched  with  such  a  masterly  hand  the  bold  outlines  of  the 
Victoria  Nyanza.' 

Proceeding  southwards  towards  Lake  Tanganyika,  a  halt  was 
made  at  Nyambarri.  Here  there  was  a  rupture  in  the  camp, 
caused  by  Msenna,  one  of  the  men,  who  endeavoured  to  bring 
about  a  revolt  amongst  the  Wangwana  and  Wanyamwezi. 
Msenna  was  reduced  from  his  former  captaincy  of  ten  men  to 
the  ranks.  At  Ndeverva,  on  the  18th  April,  the  report 
reached  them  that  the  terrible  chief  Mirambo,  the  greatest 
king   in  Unyamwezi,  was  marching   towards  them.     On  the 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  179 

following  day  they  reached  one  of  the  largest  villages  in 
Unyamwezi,  called  Serombo,  when  they  heard  that  Mirambo 
was  expected  there,  but  only  on  a  visit  to  his  friend  Ndega. 
The  town-criers,  preceded  by  the  sound  of  iron  bells,  were 
heard  to  make  the  following  announcement  : — 

1  Listen,  O  men  of  Serombo  !  Mirambo,  the  brother  of 
Ndega,  cometh  in  the  morning.  Be  ye  prepared,  therefore, 
for  his  young  men  are  hungry.  Send  your  women  to  dig 
potatoes  !  Mirambo  cometh  !  Dig  potatoes,  potatoes ;  dig 
potatoes,  to-morrow  ! " 

Stanley  had  an  interview  with  Mirambo  on  2 2d  April  1876, 
and  found  him  the  reverse  of  all  his  previous  conceptions. 
He  is  *  a  man  about  5  feet  1 1  inches  in  height,  and  about 
thirty-five  years  old,  with  not  an  ounce  of  superfluous  flesh 
about  him.  A  handsome,  regular-featured,  mild-voiced,  soft- 
spoken  man,  with  what  one  might  call  a  "  mock "  demeanour, 
very  generous  and  open-handed.'  After  exchanging  presents 
(those  from  Mirambo  being  particularly  liberal),  and  perform- 
ing the  ceremony  of  blood-brotherhood,  they  parted  the  best 
of  friends.  The  demands  made  for  tribute  by  the  petty  chiefs 
of  Unyamwezi  were  for  the  most  part  extortionate,  and  were 
refused.  Their  eyes  rested  on  Lake  Tanganyika  on  27th  May 
1876.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day  they  were 
in  Ujiji.  There  was  little  change  in  the  place  since  the 
previous  visit  in  1871.  The  house  where  he  and  Livingstone 
had  lived  was,  however,  burned  down ;  and  the  hero  who  had 
formerly  filled  the  place  with  such  absorbing  interest  was 
gone. 

During  this  visit,  Stanley  took  the  opportunity  of  describing 
the  place  minutely.  The  port,  he  tells  us,  is  divided  into 
two  districts, — Ugoy,  occupied  by  the  Arabs ;   and  Kawele, 


180  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

inhabited  by  the  Wangwana,  slaves,  and  natives.  The  market- 
place was  smaller  and  more  contracted  than  on  his  previous 
visit.  On  the  beach  before  the  market-place,  the  Arab  canoes 
are  drawn  up.  The  commodities  brought  to  the  market  con- 
sist of  sweet  potatoes,  yams,  sugar-canes,  ground  nuts,  oil  nuts, 
palm-oil  and  palm-wine,  butter,  pombe,  beans,  fowls,  goats, 
broad-tailed  sheep  and  sometimes  oxen,  tomatoes,  plantains, 
dried  fish,  etc.  The  natives  had  begun  to  be  extortionate  in 
their  dealings,  which  proved  rather  exasperating  to  the  Arabs. 
Cloths,  sheeting,  and  beads  of  various  kinds  was  the  currency 
most  commonly  used.  The  country  of  Ujiji  extends  along  the 
Tanganyika,  between  the  Linche  river,  to  a  distance  of  forty- 
five  miles.  Its  breadth  is  about  twenty  miles.  The  king  at 
that  time  was  called  Mgassa,  and  resides  amongst  the  moun- 
tains bordering  upon  Uguru.  Stanley  estimated  its  population 
at  about  36,000  souls. 

Before  proceeding  to  explore  Lake  Tanganyika  in  the  Lady 
Alice,  Stanley  was  much  disappointed  to  find  that  his  letters 
had  not  been  forwarded  as  he  had  desired  by  the  Governor  of 
Unyanyembe.  Observations  taken  during  the  voyage  proved 
unmistakeably  that  the  waters  of  the  lake  were  rising.  In 
time  it  may  overflow  its  banks  by  way  of  the  Lukuga  creek. 
*  When  the  Tanganyika,'  he  writes,  *  has  risen  three  feet  higher, 
there  will  be  no  surf  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lukuga,  no  silt  of 
sand,  no  oozing  mud-banks,  no  rush-covered  old  river-course ; 
but  the  accumulated  waters  of  over  a  hundred  rivers  will 
sweep  through  the  ancient  gap  with  the  force  of  a  cataclysm, 
bearing  away  on  its  flood  all  the  deposits  of  organic  debris  at 
present  in  the  Lukuga  creek,  down  the  steep  incline,  to  swell 
the  tribute  due  to  the  mighty  Livingstone.7  Stanley  arrived  at 
Ujiji  after  being  absent  fifty-one  days;  and  having  sailed  810 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY,  181 

miles.  The  entire  coast-line  of  the  Tanganyika  he  proved  to 
be  930  miles.  Frank  Pocock,  who  had  been  left  in  charge  of 
the  camp,  was  exceedingly  glad  to  see  his  master  return,  as 
he  had  been  down  several  times  with  severe  attacks  of  fever. 
Five  of  his  Wangwana  men  were  also  dead  from  small-pox, 
and  six  others  were  seriously  ill.  The  pest  of  small-pox  spread 
dismay  in  the  camp. 

On  25th  August  the  order  was  given  to  march,  when  it  was 
found  that  38  out  of  170  men  had  deserted.  After  crossing 
the  Tanganyika  there  were  other  desertions.  Seven  of  the 
deserters  were  secured  by  Francis  Pocock  and  a  native,  and 
punished  as  a  warning  to  the  others.  Mr.  Stanley  here  takes 
the  liberty  of  moralizing  on  Dr.  Livingstone's  last  expedition. 
He  was  left  at  one  time  with  but  seven  men  out  of  seventy ; 
had  he  shown  greater  firmness,  fewer  desertions  might  have 
taken  place,  and  six  good  years,  and  finally  his  life,  might  have 
been  saved.  While  journeying  to  Manyema,  the  following 
remarks  on  Stanley's  character,  and  the  purpose  of  his  mission, 
were  reported  to  him  by  a  young  Arab  : — *  Kassanga,  chief  of 
Ruanda,  says,  "  How  can  the  white  men  be  good  when  they 
come  for  no  trade,  whose  feet  one  never  sees,  who  always  go 
covered  from  head  to  foot  with  clothes  ?  Do  not  tell  me  they 
are  good  and  friendly.  There  is  something  very  mysterious 
about  them;  perhaps  wicked.  Probably  they  are  magicians; 
at  any  rate,  it  is  better  to  leave  them  alone,  and  to  keep  close 
until  they  are  gone.",  Crossing  a  ridge,  forming  the  boundary 
between  Uguha  and  Ubujwe,  they  found  the  country  abound- 
ing in  forests  and  fruit-trees.  Honey  and  buffalo  were  also 
plentiful.  The  natives  of  Rua,  Uguha,  and  Ubujwe  were 
found  to  be  adepts  in  the  art  of  hair-dressing.  Carved  statues 
in  wood  are  also  not  uncommoa 


1 82  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

Uhyeya  was  the  district  adjoining  Ubujwe,  which  they  found 
peopled  by  natives  rather  lower  in  the  scale  of  humanity. 
They  were  partial  to  ochre,  black  paints,  and  a  composition  of 
black  mud,  which  they  moulded  into  the  form  of  a  plate  and 
stuck  on  the  back  of  their  heads.  They  were,  however,  very 
ready  in  supplying  the  wants  of  the  explorer.  Uvinza,  the 
next  district  which  he  traversed,  consisted  of  several  square 
miles,  and  led  to  Uhombo,  a  district  of  remarkable  fertility. 
The  natives  were  very  willing  to  trade,  and  supplied  them  with 
palm-butter  for  cooking,  sugar-cane,  goats,  chickens,  sweet 
potatoes,  bananas,  plantain  and  palm  wines,  and  good  water. 

Marching  from  Uhombo,  Riba-Riba,  a  frontier  village  of 
Manyema,  was  reached  on  5th  October.  Here  the  form  of 
the  huts,  instead  of  being  conical  as  formerly,  was  square, 
with  gradually  sloping  roof,  wattled  and  plastered  with  mud. 
Nature,  in  the  Manyema  district,  was  on  a  splendid  scale ;  the 
valleys  and  hill-sides  were  clothed  with  a  profuse  and  robust 
vegetation.  *  Her  grasses,'  says  Mr.  Stanley,  *  are  coarse,  and 
wound  like  knives  and  needles ;  her  reeds  are  tough,  and  tall 
as  bamboos;  her  creepers  and  convolvuli  are  of  cable  thick- 
ness and  length ;  her  thorns  are  hooks  of  steel ;  her  tree9 
shoot  up  to  a  height  of  a  hundred  feet.  We  find  no  pleasure 
in  straying  in  search  of  wild  flowers,  and  game  is  left  undis- 
turbed because  of  the  difficulty  of  moving  about ;  for,  once  the 
main  path  is  left,  we  find  ourselves  overhead  amongst  thick, 
tough,  unyielding,  lacerating  grass.' 

Leaving  Riba-Riba,  Ka  Bambarre  was  reached,  where  traces 
of  Dr.  Livingstone  still  existed  amongst  the  natives.  Mats 
were  spread  under  a  palm  tree,  and  the  following  conversation 
took  place : — 

'  Did  you  know  the  old  white  man  ?    Was  he  your  father  ? ' 


HENRY  M  STANLEY.  183 


1  He  was  not  my  father ;  but  I  knew  him  well.' 
i  Eh,  do  you  hear  that  ? '  he  asked  his  people.     *  He  says  he 
knew  him.     Was  he  not  a  good  man  ? ' 

*  Yes,  very  good.' 

'  You  say  well.  He  was  good  to  me,  and  he  saved  me  from 
the  Arabs  many  a  time.  The  Arabs  are  hard  men ;  and  often 
he  would  step  between  them  and  me  when  they  were  hard  on 
me.  He  was  a  good  man,  and  my  children  were  fond  of  him. 
I  hear  he  is  dead  ?  \ 

'  Yes ;  he  is  dead.' 

1  Where  has  he  gone  to  ? ' 

*  Above,  my  friend,'  said  Stanley,  pointing  to  the  sky. 

1  Ah  ! '  said  he  breathlessly,  and  looking  up.  *  Did  he  come 
from  above  ? ' 

'  No ;  but  good  men  like  him  go  above  when  they  die.* 
The  people  here,  of  an  Ethiopic-negro  type,  were  more 
refined  and  better  looking  than  those  of  the  Uhombo  district. 
Their  weapons  are  a  short  sword  scabbarded  with  wood,  and  a 
spear.  Their  dress  consisted  of  a  narrow  apron  of  antelope- 
skin  or  grass  cloth.  Patches  of  mud  were  attached  to  their 
beards,  back  hair,  and  behind  the  ears.  Some  had  their 
entire  head  crowned  with  mud.  The  women  sometimes 
manufactured  their  hair,  with  a  stiffening  of  light  cane,  into 
a  bonnet-shaped  head-dress,  with  the  back  hair  loose  and 
flowing  to  their  waist.  They  also  do  the  heaviest  amount  of 
work,  the  fishing  and  agriculture. 

*  The  houses/  says  Mr.  Stanley,  '  are  separated  into  two  or 
more  apartments,  and,  on  account  of  the  compact  nature  of 
the  clay  and  tamped  floor,  are  easily  kept  clean.  The  roofs 
are  slimy  with  the  reek  of  smoke,  as  though  they  had  been 
painted  with  coal-tar.     The  household  chattels  or  furniture  are 


1 84  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

limited  to  food  baskets,  earthenware  pots,  an  assortment  of 
wickerwork  dishes,  the  family  shields,  spears,  knives,  swords, 
and  tools,  and  the  fish  baskets  lying  outside.  They  are 
tolerably  hospitable,  and  permit  strangers  the  free  use  of  their 
dwellings.  The  bananas  and  plantains  are  very  luxuriant, 
while  the  Guinea-palms  supply  the  people  with  oil  and  wine ; 
the  forests  give  them  fuel,  the  rivers  fish,  and  the  gardens 
cassava,  ground  nuts,  and  Indian  corn/  The  Luama  river  was 
crossed  on  the  nth  on  the  western  side;  the  women  fled  at 
the  approach  of  the  caravan.  The  asses  of  the  expedition 
were  the  first  seen  in  Manyema,  and  attracted  great  attention. 
Livingstone  and  Cameron,  after  crossing  the  Luama,  had 
proceeded  westward ;  Stanley  decided  to  follow  the  river  to  its 
junction  with  the  Lualaba.  Kabungwe  was  reached  on  the 
13th;  beyond  this  place  he  found  the  country  extremely 
populous.  At  Mtuyu,  the  easternmost  settlement  of  the 
country  of  Uzura,  the  people  pretended  that  the  small-pox  had 
done  away  with  the  population.  Near  Mpungu,  fifteen  miles 
west  of  Mtuyu,  dwelt  a  tribe  with  remarkable  beards ;  the  chief, 
Kitete,  was  ornamented  with  one  which  was  plaited  and 
decorated  at  the  tips  with  blue  glass  beads,  and  was  20  inches 
long.  Four  miles  from  Mpungu  was  seen  the  confluence  of 
the  Luama  with  the  Lualaba.  The  Luama  appeared  to  be 
about  400  yards  broad  at  the  mouth,  and  the  Lualaba  was 
about  1400  yards  wide,  winding  south  and  by  east,  and  of  a 
pale  grey  colour.  The  young  explorer  was  filled  with  rapture 
at  the  sight.  After  following  one  of  the  affluents,  he  had  now 
arrived  at  the  great  river  whose  unknown  course  he  was  about 
to  determine  and  settle  for  ever,  by  following  it  to  the  ocean. 
Reaching  Mwana  Mamba's  district,  Stanley  heard  from  Hamed 
bin  Mohammed,  or  Tippu  Tib,  a  gentleman  Arab  who  had 


HENR  Y  M.  STANLE  Y.  185 

escorted  Lieutenant  Cameron  across  the  Lualaba  as  far  as 
Utstera,  that  the  reason  why  he  had  not  proceeded  farther  in 
that  direction  was  the  want  of  canoes  and  the  hostility  of  the 
savages.  Dr.  Livingstone  was  deterred  in  somewhat  the  same 
way.  After  debating  the  matter,  whether  he  would  go  forward, 
and  hearing  what  the  Arabs  had  to  tell  about  the  Lualaba, — 
that  it  flowed  north,  and  still  north, — an  agreement  was  drawn 
up  with  Tippu  Tib.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  he  would 
receive  one  hundred  and  forty  guns  and  seventy  Wanyamwezi 
spearmen;  these  were  to  escort  the  expedition  a  distance  of 
sixty  camps.  If  the  countries  were  found  to  be  hostile,  and  if 
without  hopes  of  meeting  other  traders,  they  should  all  return 
to  Nyangwe.  Ration  money  to  last  for  ten  days  was  then 
counted  to  Tippu  Tib,  and  the  expedition  started  from 
Mwana  Mamba  on  the  24th  October.  After  a  journey  of 
twelve  miles  through  a  fine  rolling  country,  they  encamped  at 
Kankumba  on  the  25th;  Nyangwe  was  but  five  miles  distant. 
The  grass  of  this  neighbourhood  was  8  feet  high,  with  stalks 
an  inch  in  diameter,  and  looking  like  *a  waving  country 
planted  with  young  bamboo. ' 

The  expedition  was  in  excellent  marching  order  when 
Nyangwe  was  reached  on  the  27th  October.  This  is  the 
westernmost  Arab  settlement  reached  by  the  traders  from 
Zanzibar,  and  stands  in  longitude  2  6°  16',  south  latitude  40  15'? 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Lualaba. 

Tippu  Tib  had  reached  Nyangwe  on  the  2d  November  with 
a  force  of  nearly  seven  hundred  people.  About  three  hundred 
of  these  men  were  to  be  sent  to  a  country  called  Tatta,  to  the 
east  of  Usongora  Meno.  The  total  number  of  men,  women, 
and  children  connected  with  the  expedition  was  154.  The 
arms  were  as  follows: — 29  Sniders,  32  percussion-lock  muskets, 


1 86  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

2  Winchesters,  2  double-barrelled  guns,  10  revolvers,  68  axes. 
The  men,  to  the  number  of  250,  who  were  to  accompany  the 
expedition  a  distance  of  sixty  camps,  are  Arabs,  half-castes, 
Wangwana,  100  Wanyamwezi,  Ruga-Ruga,  armed  with  spears, 
bows  and  arrows,  and  only  some  of  them  possessing  flint-locks. 
In  addition  there  are  about  fifty  youths,  from  ten  to  eighteen 
years  of  age,  who  will  be  employed  as  gun-bearers,  house 
servants,  cooks,  carpenters,  house-builders,  blacksmiths,  etc 
Hopefully  the  young  explorer  and  his  men  started  from 
Nyangwe,  westwards,  to  explore  the  nine  hundred  miles  of 
country  unknown  to  Europeans. 

The  expedition  was  marching  through  the  forest  of  Mitamba 
on  the  6th  November.  The  path  through  this  twilight  forest 
was  gloomy  in  the  extreme,  the  damp  moisture  dropping  from 
the  leaves,  and  making  the  pathway  into  pasty  mud.  The 
growth  of  tangled  underwood,  too,  was  immense.  Ditches 
had  to  be  crossed,  and  the  travellers  were  being  continually 
tormented  by  the  creepers  and  climbing  plants  which  ob- 
structed the  pathway.  The  atmosphere  was  stifling ;  a  damp, 
hot  steam  was  rising  from  the  moist  earth,  and  the  clothes  of 
the  travellers  were  saturated  with  moisture.  '  It  was  crawling, 
scrambling,  tearing  through  the  damp,  dank  jungles,  and  such 
height  and  depth  of  woods.'  The  men  who  carried  the  boat, 
which  was  in  sections,  complained  bitterly  of  fatigue  when  they 
reached  Mpotira.  Kimssi,  in  Uregga,  the  forest  country,  was 
reached  on  the  10th.  The  Waregga,  the  natives  of  that 
district,  although  living  secluded  lives,  could  boast  of  a  fair 
amount  of  comfort  in  their  dwelling-places.  Their  villages 
consist  of  long  rows  of  houses  connected  together,  and  from 
50  to  300  yards  in  length.  The  doorways  in  the  walls  are 
only  2  feet  square,  and  cut  at  about  18  inches  above  ground. 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY,  187 


These  blocks  are  divided  into  separate  apartments,  in  the 
interior,  for  the  respective  families.  The  pipe  and  various 
medicinal  herbs  are  stuck  in  the  roof.  Various  skins  of 
animals  helped  to  make  up  the  household  furniture  also. 
Cane  settees,  capable  of  seating  three  persons  comfortably, 
were  also  not  uncommon.  A  bench  4  or  5  feet  long,  cut  out 
of  a  single  log  of  wood,  also  formed  an  article  of  furniture. 
The  males  wear  skull-caps  of  goat  or  monkey  skin.  In  the 
case  of  the  chiefs  and  elders,  this  was  exchanged  for  leopard 
skin.  The  women  decorate  their  arms  and  legs  very  lavishly 
with  iron  and  copper  rings. 

The  march  of  the  15th  was  full  of  troubles,  and  extended 
over  six  miles  and  a  half.  Mr.  Stanley's  shoes  were  worn  out, 
and  half  the  march  was  performed  with  naked  feet.  His  last 
pair  were  drawn  from  the  store  and  put  on.  Frank  Pocock 
did  the  same.  The  courage  of  the  men  was  much  daunted 
because  of  the  difficulties  of  the  way.  Amongst  the  animals 
seen  on  the  march  were  a  python  10  feet  long,  a  green  viper, 
a  puff  adder,  a  lemur,  and  many  different  species  of  monkeys 
and  baboons.  The  undergrowth,  which  rendered  locomotion 
almost  impossible,  is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Stanley : — '  It 
consisted  of  ferns,  spear-grass,  water-cane,  and  orchidaceous 
plants,  mixed  with  wild  vines,  cable  thicknesses  of  the  Fiats 
elastica,  and  a  sprinkling  of  mimosas,  acacias,  tamarinds, 
lliams,  palms  of  various  species,  wild  date,  Ralphia  vinifera, 
the  elais,  the  fan,  rattans,  and  a  hundred  other  varieties,  all 
struggling  for  every  inch  of  space,  and  swarming  upward  with  a 
luxuriance  and  density  that  only  this  extraordinary  hothouse 
atmosphere  could  nourish.  We  had  certainly  seen  forests 
before,  but  this  scene  was  an  epoch  in  our  lives  ever  to  be 
remembered  for  its  bitterness  \  the  gloom  enhanced  the  dismal 


1 88  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

misery  of  our  life;  the  slopping  moisture,  the  unhealthy 
reeking  atmosphere,  and  the  monotony  of  the  scenes ;  nothing 
but  the  eternal  interlaced  branches,  the  tall  aspiring  stems, 
rising  from  a  tangle  through  which  we  had  to  burrow  and 
crawl  like  wild  animals,  on  hands  and  feet.'  At  the  next 
halting-place,  Wane-Kirumbu,  Tippu  Tib,  the  Arab  leader, 
expressed  a  wish  to  return,  but  after  much  solicitation  he 
agreed  to  march  twenty  camps  iarther  from  that  place.  The 
present  of  fifteen  cowries  to  the  chief  of  Wane-Kirumbu  was 
received  with  emotions  of  lively  gratitude.  A  large  native 
forge  employing  about  a  dozen  native  smiths  was  at  work, 
here.  They  manufactured  broad-bladed  spears,  and  broad 
knives  of  all  sizes. 

The  village  of  Kampunzu  was  reached  on  the  17th 
November.  Two  rows  of  skulls  10  feet  apart,  imbedded 
about  two  inches  in  the  ground,  ran  along  the  entire  length  of 
the  village.  The  skulls  were  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  in 
number,  but  they  were  informed  that  they  were  those  of  *  sokos/ 
or  chimpanzees  from  the  forest.  Two  of  these  skulls  brought 
to  England  were  examined  by  Professor  Huxley,  and  pro- 
nounced to  be  those  of  the  ordinary  African  negro.  The 
conclusion  to  be  drawn  from  this  is  that  the  people  of 
Kampunzu  may  be  cannibals.  These  Wavinzi  warriors  are 
armed  with  short  broad-bladed  spears  and  small  bows,  with 
arrows  dipped  in  vegetable  poison.  In  the  use  of  the  latter 
they  are  very  dexterous,  sending  an  arrow  easily  200  yards. 
The  men  wore  skins  of  civet  or  monkey  in  back  and  front, 
with  the  tails  downward.  The  women  wore  narrow  aprons  of 
bark  or  grass  cloth.  A  march  of  five  miles  brought  them  to 
the  Lualaba,  in  south  latitude  30  35',  east  longitude  250  49'. 
From  this  point  he  decided  to  drop  the  name  Lualaba,  and 


HENRY  M  STANLEY.  189 

call  it  the  Livingstone.  They  encamped  on  the  banks  of  the 
river,  which  was  here  1200  yards  wide.  Watching  the  river 
flowing  gently  past,  he  was  now  more  than  ever  determined  to 
make  it  his  pathway  westward.  It  would  at  least  be  better 
than  the  trackless  forests  of  which  they  had  already  had  such 
experience.  On  the  20th  the  whole  expedition  had  crossed 
the  river  and  encamped  in  one  of  the  villages  of  the  Wenya. 
The  natives,  frightened  at  this  sudden  incursion,  had  all 
disappeared  into  the  bush  on  the  following  morning.  The 
natives  behaved  in  the  same  manner  in  several  villages  through 
which  they  passed.  On  the  23d  November  they  halted  at  the 
Ruiki  river.  The  natives  here  took  the  opportunity  of  attack- 
ing Stanley's  party  while  he  was  absent  exploring  the  Ruiki. 
The  expedition  now  proceeded  down  the  river,  when  the  rapids 
of  Ukassa  were  reached.  On  the  29th,  Mburri,  on  the  left 
bank,  was  reached,  and  the  journey  downwards  was  continued 
on  the  following  day.  Two  finely- wooded  islands  in  mid-stream 
were  passed,  and  a  halt  was  made  at  the  market-place  of 
Usako  Ngongo.  On  1st  December,  Ukongeh,  opposite  Mitandeh 
island,  was  reached.  On  the  4th,  they  reached  Muriwa 
creek,  on  the  north  bank  of  which  was  a  series  of  villages, 
having  one  broad  uniform  street,  thirty  feet  wide  and  two  miles 
in  length.  This  town  was  called  Ikondee,  but  all  the  natives 
had  fled  at  their  approach,  leaving  their  fine  gardens  of 
bananas,  melons,  sugar-cane,  ground  nuts,  and  plantations  of 
cassava,  at  the  mercy  of  the  stranger.  As  many  of  the  men 
were  here  suffering  from  diseases  brought  on  by  the  fatigues 
and  troubles  of  the  march,  a  canoe  was  procured  and  con- 
structed to  be  used  as  a  floating  hospital.  A  Watwa  dwarf 
was  captured  in  the  woods,  with  a  bow  and  a  quiver  of 
poisoned  arrows  in  his  hand.     On  the  8th  December,  moving 


i9o  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


down  the  river  to  Unya-N'singe,  they  discovered  that  it  was  a 
large  town  about  a  mile  in  length.  The  natives  here,  the 
Wasongora  Mono,  attacked  the  expedition  in  fourteen  canoes, 
but  they  were  promptly  repulsed  with  considerable  loss. 

Still  gliding  down  the  river,  Kisui  Kachiambi  was  reached 
on  the  14th,  which  was  found  to  consist  of  three  hundred 
long  houses,  and  to  be  about  a  mile  in  length.  A  well- 
planned  attack  by  the  natives  was  frustrated,  as  the  expedition 
was  thoroughly  prepared.  Descending  the  stream  on  the 
1 8th,  showers  of  arrows  were  discharged  at  them  from  the 
jungle.  Refuge  was  taken  behind  a  stockade  which  was 
hastily  prepared  at  Vinya-Njara ;  here  they  protected  them- 
selves as  they  best  could  from  the  showers  of  arrows  and 
spears  launched  at  them.  Refuge  was  next  taken  in  a 
deserted  village  lower  down  the  river.  Each  end  of  the  village 
was  defended.  About  noon  one  day  a  huge  flotilla  of  canoes 
was  discovered,  manned  by  between  five  and  eight  hundred 
men,  coming  down  the  river  to  attack  them.  The  war-horns 
were  sounded,  and  every  man  within  the  village  prepared  for 
the  attack.  At  last  they  were  beaten  off,  with  great  loss,  the 
arrival  of  Tippu  Tib  with  the  land  division  helping  this  con- 
summation. They  took  shelter  farther  down  the  river.  The 
loss  to  the  expedition  consisted  of  four  men  killed  and  thirteen 
wounded.  In  a  night  expedition,  over  thirty  canoes  were 
captured  from  the  natives.  In  the  terms  of  agreement  after- 
wards made,  twenty-three  of  these  canoes  were  retained,  and 
the  ceremony  of  blood-brotherhood  was  performed  between 
Safeni  and  the  chief  of  Vinya-Njara. 

After  this  engagement,  discouraged,  and  daily  growing 
weaker  because  of  the  number  of  deaths,  the  Arab  leaders, 
Tippu  Tib,  Sheikh  Abdallah,  and   Muini   Ibrahim,  declared 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  191 

their  intention  of  returning  by  another  route  to  Nyangwe. 
Their  contract  was  not  yet  fulfilled,  but  Mr.  Stanley  felt  that 
their  courage  was  exhausted.  Gifts  were  distributed,  and  an 
assurance  was  asked  from  Tippu  Tib  that  he  would  use  his 
influence  to  get  the  principal  men  of  the  expedition  to  follow 
him  in  his  further  explorations.  This  he  promised  to  do. 
Stanley  then  addressed  his  followers  thus  : — 

• %  Into  whichever  sea  this  great  river  empties,  there  shall  we 
follow  it.  You  have  seen  that  I  have  saved  you  a  score  of 
times,  when  everything  looked  black  and  dismal  for  us.  That 
care  of  you  to  which  you  owe  your  safety  hitherto,  I  shall 
maintain  until  I  have  seen  you  safe  and  sound  in  your  own 
homes,  and  under  your  own  palm  trees.  All  I  ask  of  you  is, 
perfect  trust  in  whatever  I  say.  On  your  lives  depends  my 
own  ;  if  I  risk  yours,  I  risk  mine.  As  a  father  looks  after  his 
children,  I  will  look  after  you.  It  is  true  we  are  not  so  strong 
as  when  the  Wanyaturu  attacked  us,  or  when  we  marched 
through  Unyoro  to  Muta  N'zige,  but  we  are  of  the  same  band 
of  men,  and  we  are  still  of  the  same  spirit.  Many  of  our 
party  have  already  died,  but  death  is  the  end  of  all ;  and  if 
they  died  earlier  than  we,  it  was  the  will  of  God,  and  who 
shall  rebel  against  His  will  ?  It  may  be,  we  shall  meet  a 
hundred  wild  tribes  yet,  who,  for  the  sake  of  eating  us,  will 
rush  to  meet  and  fight  us.  We  have  no  wish  to  molest  them. 
We  have  monies  with  us,  and  are,  therefore,  not  poor.  If 
they  fight  us,  we  must  accept  it  as  an  evil,  like  disease,  which 
we  cannot  help.  We  shall  continue  to  do  our  utmost  to  make 
friends,  and  the  river  is  wide  and  deep.  If  we  fight,  we  fight 
for  our  lives.  It  may  be  that  we  shall  be  distressed  by  famine 
and  want.  It  may  be  that  we  shall  meet  with  many  more 
cataracts,  or  find  ourselves  before  a  great  lake,  whose  wild 


1 92  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

waves  we  cannot  cross  with  these  canoes ;  but  we  are  no 
children,  we  have  heads  and  arms,  and  are  we  not  always 
under  the  eye  of  God,  who  will  do  with  us  as  He  sees  fit  ? 
Therefore,  my  children,  make  up  your  minds,  as  I  have  made 
up  mine,  that  as  we  are  now  in  the  very  middle  of  this 
continent,  and  it  would  be  just  as  bad  to  return  as  to  go  on, 
that  we  shall  continue  our  journey,  that  we  shall  toil  on  and 
on,  by  this  river  and  no  other,  to  the  salt  sea.'  This  speech 
awakened  considerable  enthusiasm  amongst  the  men,  and 
preparations  were  proceeded  with  at  once. 

On  Christmas  Day  1876,  the  men  were  mustered  and 
appointed  to  their  respective  canoes.  The  rest  of  the  day  was 
spent  in  festivity,  in  canoe  races,  and  in  foot  races.  On  the 
following  day,  Tippu  Tib  gave  a  feast  of  rice  and  roasted 
sheep  to  the  members  of  the  expedition,  which  helped  to 
prolong  and  maintain  their  cheerful  feelings  and  prospects 
of  success.  After  pulling  up  stream  and  camping  on  an 
island  all  night,  they  prepared  to  leave  Vinya-Njara  for  ever 
on  the  morning  of  the  28th  December.  A  dense  mist  hung 
over  the  river  in  the  morning,  which  slowly  lifting,  the  order 
to  embark  was  given.  As  the  canoes  were  descending  past 
where  Tippu  Tib  and  his  men  were  encamped,  they  heard 
them  joining  in  a  farewell  song.  As  the  notes  of  the  song 
floated  towards  them,  the  leader  and  his  men  were  well-nigh 
overcome.  'Louder  the  sad  notes  swelled  on  our  ears/  he 
writes,  'full  of  a  pathetic  and  mournful  meaning.  With 
bated  breath  we  listened  to  the  rich  music,  which  spoke  to  us 
unmistakeably  of  parting,  of  sundered  friendship,  a  long, 
perhaps  an  eternal  farewell.  We  came  in  view  of  them,  as, 
ranged  along  the  bank  in  picturesque  costumes,  the  sons  of 
Unyamwezi  sang  their  last  song.     We  waved  our  hands  to 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  193 


them.     Our  hearts  were  so  full  of  grief  that  we  could  not 
speak.     Steadily  the  brown  flood  bore  us  by,  and  fainter  and 
fainter  came  the  notes  down  the  water,  till  finally  they  died 
away,  leaving  us  all  alone   in   our   loneliness.'     A  halt  was 
made  that  day  at  Kali-Karero,  where  the  natives  were  peace 
ably  inclined.      Fourteen  different  villages  were  passed  that 
day,  a  proof  that  the  Vinya-Njara  district  was  very  populous. 
Next  day,  in  passing  down  the  river,  big  wooden  drums  were 
beaten,  which  told  of  the  presence  of  the  stranger,  and  the 
natives  on  the  right  bank   gave   them  such  a  salutation   as 
clearly  proved  they  were  cannibals.     *  Meat !  meat !  ah  !  ha  ! 
We  shall  have  plenty  of  meat !     Bo — bo — bo — bo  !     Bo — bo 
— bo — bo — o — o  !-'     A  show  of  fight  cleared  the  river  of  these 
savages.      On  29th  December  they  encamped  on  an   unin- 
habited spot  opposite  Vina-Kya.     The  savages  manned  their 
drums  and  canoes,  and  advanced  towards  them.      The  two 
interpreters   belonging   to   the   expedition   did   their   best   to 
prove  to  them  that  their  errand  was  a  peaceful  one.     They 
were  beaten  off  for  that  day.      The  mouth  of  the  Low-wa 
or  Row-wa  river  now  came  into  view ;    its  mouth,  where  it 
emptied   itself  into   the   Livingstone,  was  a  thousand   yards 
wide.     The  right  bank  of  the  Livingstone,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Low-wa,  had   no   appearance   of   being  inhabited.     The 
undergrowth   to   be   witnessed    there    seemed    impenetrable. 
*  Entomologists  and  naturalists/  he  says,  *  might  revel  there.' 
The  following  animals  abounded  : — Myriapedes,  brown,  black, 
and  yellow  ants,  the  mautis,  the  earth  caterpillar,  the  ladybird, 
and  countless  insects.     Mr.  Stanley  dissipates  the  idea  of  a 
primeval   forest   being   silent.       *  The   hum   and   murmur   of 
hundreds  of  busy  insect  tribes,'  he  writes,  *  make  populous  the 

twilight  shadows  that  reign  under  the  primeval  growth.     I  hear 
111.  N 


i94  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

the  grinding  of  millions  of  mandibles,  the  furious  hiss  of  a 
tribe  just  alarmed  or  about  to  rush  to  battle, -millions  of  tiny 
wings  rustling  through  the  nether  air,  the  march  of  an  insect 
tribe  under  the  leaves,  the  startling  leap  of  an  awakened 
mautis,  the  chirp  of  some  eager  and  garrulous  cricket,  the 
buzz  of  an  ant-lion,  the  roar  of  a  bull-frog.  Add  to  these  the 
crackle  of  twigs,  the  fall  of  leaves,  the  dropping  of  nut  and 
berry,  the  occasional  crash  of  a  branch,  or  the  constant  creak- 
ing and  swaying  of  the  forest  tops  as  the  strong  wind  brushes 
them  or  the  gentle  breezes  awake  them  to  whispers.'  The 
night  of  30th  December  was  spent  in  the  leafy  shelter  opposite 
the  Low-wa  confluence.  The  natives,  who  sold  them  ten 
gigantic  plantains,  13  inches  long  and  3  inches  in  diameter, 
informed  them  that  they  were  encamped  on  the  shore  of  the 
Lulu,  an  uninhabited  portion  of  the  territory  of  Wanpuma. 
They  crossed  to  the  Iryamba  side  of  the  Livingstone..  A 
strong  breeze  had  arisen,  when  two  men  were  drowned  by  the 
upsetting  of  a  canoe,  and  four  muskets  and  a  sackful  of  beads 
were  lost.  On  the  following  day  the  journey  was  continued. 
The  first  day  of  1877  began  while  passing  an  uninhabited  tract, 
and  Stanley  found  time  to  ruminate  and  enjoy  the  forest 
beauty  and  stillness  without  being  troubled  with  thoughts  of 
the  past  or  future.  Sounds  of  war-drums  were,  however, 
heard  early  that  day,  both  from  an  island  in  the  river  and 
from  its  banks.  The  word  Seu-neu-neh,  or  peace,  was  shouted 
out  in  vain.  The  reply  was,  *  We  shall  eat  Wajiwa  meat  to-day. 
Oho,  we  shall  eat  Wajiwa  meat.'  The  natives  were  beaten 
back,  however,  and  progress  was  resumed.  On  3d  January 
they  glided  down  to  Kankore,  the  word  Seu-neu-neh  being 
all  the  while  shouted  out.  The  natives  gathered  on  the  banks 
in  a  more  peaceful  attitude,  and  presents  of  beads  were  given 


HENRY  M  STANLEY.  195 

to  two  women  who  had  the  courage  to  paddle  out  towards 
them  to  treat  with  them.  The  men,  like  the  natives  of 
Waregga,  were  tattooed  and  similarly  dressed ;  the  women 
wore  bits  of  carved  wood  and  necklaces ;  polished  iron  rings 
were  used  as  armlets  and  leg  ornaments. 

Leaving  Kankore,  the  savages  of  Mwana  Ntaba  disturbed 
their  further  progress,  and  alarmed  their  brethren  on  the  right 
bank.  These  natives  were  in  full  war-paint,  one-half  of  their 
bodies  being  white,  the  other  half  red,  with  broad  black  bars. 
In  their  first  attack,  a  canoe  85  feet  3  inches  long  was  captured 
from  them.  About  forty  canoes  were  seen  making  down 
stream,  evidently  bent  on  mischief.  Passing  the  mouth  of  a 
river  about  200  yards  wide,  Mr.  Stanley  named  it  the  Leopold 
river,  after  Leopold  11.,  king  of  the  Belgians.  Soon  after 
passing  this  river,  the  roar  of  the  first  cataract  of  the  Stanley 
Fall  series  was  heard.  But  the  roar  of  the  savages  from  either 
side  of  the  river  resounded  even  more  loudly  than  the  noise  of 
the  cataract.  In  an  encounter  on  5th  January,  the  Mwana 
Ntaba  were  repulsed,  with  a  loss  to  Stanley  of  two  men 
wounded  and  two  killed.  The  bodies  of  the  latter  were 
committed  to  the  Livingstone,  in  order  that  they  might  not 
become  the  food  of  the  cannibals.  By  the  afternoon  of  the 
8th  they  were  beyond  the  first  cataract,  and  at  anchor  in  a 
creek  between  Baswa  island  and  the  left  bank.  Another 
encounter  with  natives  took  place  on  the  nth,  farther  down 
the  river,  and  when  opposite  to  Ntunduru  island.  Three  of 
his  men  made  a  narrow  escape  from  drowning  just  above  the 
second  cataract,  and  were  rescued  from  a  small  islet  just 
above  the  falls  in  a  very  remarkable  manner.  A  sharp  en- 
counter and  some  clever  manoeuvring  with  the  cannibals  of 
Asama  island  led  to   peace,  when   the   expedition  was  well 


io6  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


supplied  with  bananas.  Beyond  the  fifth  cataract,  and  north 
of  Asama,  the  river  widened  out  to  a  breadth  of  2000  yards. 
Encamping  on  the  19th  at  Wane-Mpungu,  in  the  morning  it 
was  discovered  that  a  tall  high  net  surrounded  the  camp.  The 
net  was  cut,  an  ambuscade  was  laid,  when  eight  of  the  Wane- 
Mpungu  were  captured.  The  upper  teeth  of  each  of  these 
savages  were  filed,  two  carved  rows  of  tattoo  marks  were  on 
their  foreheads,  and  their  temples  were  punctured.  On  being 
questioned,  they  confessed  that  they  had  been  lying  in  wait 
for  man-meat.  These  captives  accompanied  Stanley  in  his 
examination  of  the  river,  and  were  set  at  liberty  on  the  right 
bank.  The  next  camping  stage  was  above  the  sixth  cataract, 
near  an  island  thickly  peopled  by  a  tribe  of  the  Waregga 
called  Wana-Rukura.  The  natives  were  troublesome  here. 
On  the  20th  they  halted  on  a  large  island  which  had  been 
deserted  by  the  Wana-Rukura;  and  by  noon  of  the  23d  they 
had  cleared  the  sixth  cataract  without  accident.  Above  the 
seventh  cataract  an  island  was  discovered  peopled  by  the 
Wenya,  who,  after  some  hostilities,  deserted  their  villages. 
The  population  of  this  cluster  of  villages  was  estimated  by 
Mr.  Stanley  at  about  6000.  The  river  above  the  seventh 
cataract  is  1300  yards  wide;  contracted  to  a  narrow  space 
between  the  island  of  Wenya  and  the  steep  banks  opposite,  it 
4  rushes  with  resistless  speed  for  a  few  hundred  yards,  and  then 
falls  about  ten  feet  into  a  boiling  and  tumultuous  gulf,  wherein 
are  lines  of  brown  waves  six  feet  high  leaping  with  terrific 
bounds,  and  hurling  themselves  against  each  other  in  dreadful 
fury.'  Fish  were  abundant  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  falls; 
the  natives  are  in  the  habit  of  entrapping  them  in  fish-baskets. 
The  Wenya  seemed  to  be  industrious ;  many  of  them  possessed 
large  wooden  chests,  in  which  were  preserved  their  treasures 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  i97 


of  beads  and  berries,  oyster  and  mussel  shells.  The  paddles 
were  made  out  of  wood  resembling  mahogany;  and  cord 
made  of  hyphene  palm  and  banana  fibre  was  also  found 
there.  Earthenware  jars  were  in  every  house.  By  the  28th 
of  January,  Stanley  and  his  men  were  entirely  clear  of  the  falls, 
which  had  occupied  them  twenty-two  days,  during  which  time 
they  had  been  continually  beset  by  the  savage  denizens  of  the 
fastnesses  on  the  route. 

All  the  members  of  the  expedition  were  now  in  good  spirits, 
as  they  cleared  the  falls  and  hastened  down  the  river  into 
open  water.  Frank  Pocock  cheered  himself  by  the  singing  of 
several  hymns,  which  the  leader  of  the  expedition  thought 
were  scarcely  bright  enough  for  the  occasion.  On  the  28th, 
the  Mburra,  a  fine  river  300  yards  wide,  was  passed ;  and  a 
mile  below  this  confluence  they  encamped  first  at  Ukobia 
island,  and  then  at  Usembi.  Farther  down  the  river,  at  Ituka, 
the  expedition  had  its  twenty-fifth  encounter  with  natives  since 
leaving  the  Ruiki  river.  Sixty-five  large  shields  had  been 
taken  in  these  encounters,  which  were  of  great  service,  as  they 
were  held  up  by  the  women  and  children  before  the  fighting 
men.  These  shields  were  impervious  against  spears  and 
arrows,  and  enabled  the  gunners  to  do  deadly  execution.  In 
order  to  frighten  the  natives  who  were  annoying  the  expedition, 
opposite  Yangambi  a  capture  was  made.  The  captive  ex- 
plained that  the  river  at  that  point  was  called  Izangi;  the 
settlements  on  the  right  bank  were  in  the  country  of  Kovuru ; 
the  country  on  the  left  bank  he  called  Yambarri.  The  river 
below  Yangambi  had  grown  from  3000  to  4000  yards  wide. 
Islands  were  also  getting  more  numerous.  Coming  in  view  of 
the  market-place  of  Avuwimi  on  1  st  February,  scores  of  canoes 
rushed  out  against  the  intruders.     Passing  the  mouth  of  a  vast 


njS  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

affluent  called  the  Avuwimi,  340  miles  north  of  Nyangwe,  and 
about  2000  yards  wide,  a  number  of  canoes  were  also  seen 
hovering  about  the  islets  in  the  centre  of  the  river.  Coming 
in  view  of  the  right  branch  of  the  affluent,  and  looking  up 
stream,  an  immense  concourse  of  canoes  were  seen  to  be 
bearing  down  upon  them.  Orders  were  given  to  anchor  the 
canoes  in  line,  about  ten  yards  apart;  the  Lady  Alice  was 
moved  upwards,  and  anchored  fifty  yards  above  them.  The 
fighting  men  in  the  boats  were  well  defended  by  a  line  of 
shields  held  up  by  the  non-combatants — men,  women,  and 
children.  A  monster  canoe  led  the  attack,  when  it  was  dis- 
covered that  there  were  fifty-four  in  all.  Forty  men  were 
rowing  on  each  side  in  the  large  canoe ;  ten  young  warriors 
stood  in  the  bow,  adorned  with  a  head-dress  of  crimson  and 
grey  parrot's  feathers ;  eight  men  guided  the  vessel  at  the 
stern  with  paddles,  the  tops  of  which  were  tipped  with  ivory ; 
ten  men,  apparently  chiefs,  moved  up  and  down  the  vessel. 
The  heads  of  all  the  natives  bore  a  feather  crown.  Drums 
were  beaten,  horns  were  sounded,  and  two  thousand  throats 
sent  forth  a  wild  chant  while  preparing  for  the  onset. 

Stanley  felt  that  the  supreme  hour  was  arrived,  when  it 
would  be  death  or  victory.  They  resolved  to  sell  their  lives  as 
dearly  as  possible.  He  addressed  his  people  thus  :  '  Boys,  be 
firm  as  iron ;  wait  until  you  see  the  first  spear,  and  then  take 
good  aim.  Don't  fire  all  at  once.  Keep  aiming  until  you  are 
sure  of  your  man.  Don't  think  of  running  away,  for  only  your 
guns  can  save  you/  After  five  minutes'  firing,  the  enemy  was 
obliged  to  re-form  above  the  Lady  Alice,  Lifting  their  anchors, 
they  pursued  them  up  stream,  and  did  not  halt  until  they  had 
chased  them  to  the  woods,  which  sheltered  them  from  the 
wrath  of  their  pursuers.     In  the  principal  village  ivory  was  as 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  199 

1  abundant  as  fuel ; '  and  in  a  native  temple  built  of  this 
material,  an  idol,  four  feet  high,  painted  with  camwood  dye, — 
a  bright  vermilion, — and  with  black  eyes  and  beard  and  hair, 
was  discovered.  The  roof  of  the  temple  was  supported  by 
thirty-three  tusks  of  ivory.  These  were  seized  by  the  Wang- 
wana.  One  hundred  other  pieces  of  ivory  were  removed. 
Some  of  these  pieces  were  in  the  shape  of  war-horns,  ivory 
pestles  for  pounding  cassava  and  other  herbs,  ivory  armlets 
and  balls,  and  ivory  mallets  for  beating  fig-bark  into  cloth. 

Mr.  Stanley  gives  a  full  inventory  of  the  other  commodities 
and  articles  found  in  this  African  village.  'The  stores  of 
beautifully-carved  paddles,  ten  feet  in  length,  some  of  which 
were  iron-pointed ;  the  enormous  six-feet-long  spears,  which 
were  designed  more  for  ornament  than  use ;  the  splendid  long 
knives,  like  Persian  kummars,  and  bright  iron-mounted  sheaths, 
with  broad  belts  of  red  buffalo  and  antelope  hide ;  barbed 
spears,  from  the  light  assegai  to  the  heavy  double-handed 
sword-spear;  the  tweezers,  hammers,  prickers,  hole-burners, 
hair-pins,  fish-hooks,  hammers,  arm  and  leg  rings  of  iron  and 
copper ;  iron  beads  and  wrist-bands ;  iron  bells,  axes,  war- 
hatchets,  adzes,  hoes,  dibbers,  etc.,  proved  the  people  on  the 
banks  of  this  river  to  be  clever,  intelligent,  and  more  advanced 
in  the  arts  than  any  hitherto  observed  since  we  commenced 
our  descent  of  the  Livingstone.  The  architecture  of  their 
huts,  however,  was  the  same,  except  the  conical  structure  they 
had  erected  over  their  idol.  Their  canoes  were  much  larger 
than  those  of  the  Mwana  Ntaba,  above  the  Stanley  Falls,  which 
had  crocodiles  and  lizards  carved  on  them.  Their  skull-caps 
of  basket-work,  leopard,  civet,  and  monkey  skins  were  similar 
to  those  that  we  had  observed  in  Uregga.  Their  shields  were 
like  those  of  the  Warivva.     There  were  various  specimens  of 


2oo  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

African  wood  -  carving  in  great  and  small  idols,  stools  of 
ingenious  pattern,  double  benches,  walking-staffs,  spear-staffs, 
paddles,  flutes,  grain-mortars,  mallets,  drums,  clubs,  troughs, 
scoops  and  canoe-balers,  porridge  spoons,  etc.  Gourds  also 
exhibited  taste  in  ornamentation.  Their  earthenware  was  very 
superior,  their  pipes  of  an  unusual  pattern — in  short,  every- 
thing that  is  of  use  to  a  well-found  African  village  exhibited 
remarkable  intelligence  and  prosperity.  Evidences  of  canni- 
balism were  numerous  in  the  human  *  soko '  skulls  that  grinned 
on  many  poles,  and  the  bones  that  were  freely  scattered  in  the 
neighbourhood,  near  the  village  garbage-heaps  and  the  river 
banks,  where  one  might  suppose  hungry  canoemen  to  have 
enjoyed  a  cold  collation  on  an  ancient  matron's  arm.  The 
most  positive  and  downright  evidence,  in  my  opinion,  of  this 
hideous  practice,  was  the  thin  forearm  of  a  person  that  was 
picked  up  near  a  fire,  with  certain  scorched  ribs  which  might 
have  been  tossed  into  the  fire  after  being  gnawed.' 

After  receiving  the  waters  of  the  Aruwimi,  the  great  river 
broadened  out  to  a  great  width,  with  from  three  to  six 
branches,  separated  from  each  other  by  a  series  of  islands. 
As  they  floated  down  between  the  islands,  they  had  glimpses 
of  several  villages  on  their  course.  These  islands  were  clothed 
with  the  wood  indigenous  to  the  tropics — teak  and  cotton- wood, 
the  hyphene,  borassus,  wild  date,  and  Guinea  oil-palms,  the 
rattan,  the  mangrove,  and  the  shea  butter-tree.  The  under- 
growth was  luxuriant,  and  grapes  flourished  by  the  river's  bank. 
The  terrors  of  the  journey  were  still  numerous, — the  cataract 
and  the  whirling  pool,  the  sudden  storm  blowing  up  the  river, 
and  the  continual  howling  from  either  bank  of  the  wrathful 
natives.  On  8th  February,  the  expedition  was  reduced  to 
terrible  straits  for  want  of  food.     The  three  asses  belonging 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  201 

to  them  were  looked  upon  as  well-nigh  doomed.  At  the 
village  of  Rubunga,  however,  by  tact  and  dexterity,  Mr. 
Stanley  succeeded  in  winning  the  natives  over  sufficiently  to 
sell  them  bananas  and  fish.  The  chief  of  Rubunga,  on  being 
questioned  as  to  the  name  of  the  river,  replied  that  it  was 
Ikutu  ya  Kongo.  This  confirmed  Stanley's  previous  impres- 
sion, since  leaving  the  Stanley  Falls,  that  they  were  sailing 
down  the  Congo. 

The  wearied  members  of  the  expedition  encamped  and 
rested  at  Rubunga,  and  a  market  was  held  for  their  benefit 
on  9th  February.  From  the  district  around  the  natives 
arrived,  bringing  fresh  and  dried  fish,  snails,  oysters,  mussels, 
dried  dog-meat,  live  dogs  and  goats,  bananas,  plantains,  robes 
of  grass  cloth,  cassava  tubers,  flour,  and  bread ;  spears,  knives, 
axes,  hatchets,  bells,  iron  bracelets,  and  girdles — everything 
*  saleable  or  purchasable  on  the  shores  of  the  Livingstone/ 
Many  of  the  knives  were  of  a  sickle-shaped  pattern \  the 
principal  men  carried  weapons  with  brass  handles.  The 
Warua  and  Waguha  wore  their  hair  in  tufts  on  the  back  of 
the  head,  fashioned  with  elegantly-shaped  iron  hair-pins. 
Their  whole  bodies  are  punctured  and  tattooed.  Their 
breasts  were  marked  with  every  conceivable  design.  The 
temple  and  cheek  were  also  adorned  with  wavy  lines.  Their 
necklaces  consisted  of  human,  gorilla,  and  crocodile  teeth. 
Some  wore  polished  boars'  tusks.  Four  ancient  Portuguese 
muskets  discovered  amongst  them  strengthened  the  idea  that 
the  river  really  communicated  with  the  coast. 

On  the  10th  February,  Urangi  was  reached,  but  the  reception 
they  received  was  very  doubtful,  and  they  found  the  natives 
great  thieves.  On  leaving  they  were  made  the  subject  of  a 
treacherous  attack,  but  the  expedition  escaped   amongst  the 


202  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

windings  of  the  creeks  in  the  river.  Below  Rubunga  the 
islands  were  much  more  numerous,  producing  great  varieties 
of  the  palm  species.  Below  Ukaturaka  the  river  broadened 
out  until,  it  was  about  seven  miles  across.  On  the  islands 
in  the  river,  the  elephant,  the  red  buffalo,  baboons,  and  long- 
tailed  monkeys  were  seen.  The  channels  swarmed  with 
hippopotamus,  crocodile,  and  the  monitor.  On  the  13th 
February,  they  were  attacked  by  the  warriors  of  Marunja, 
whose  war-cry  was  *  Yaha-ha-ha.'  Stanley,  seated  in  the  bow 
of  the  Lady  Alice,  was  repeatedly  aimed  at,  nine  bright  musket 
barrels  being  levelled  at  him  at  once,  only  the  curiosity  and 
awe  inspired  by  the  sight  of  his  white  face,  and  by  his  dress, 
had  prevented  them  from  shooting  him.  The  sight  of  their 
asses  was  also  a  matter  of  great  wonder  to  them. 

One  of  the  most  determined  fights  experienced  on  the  river 
took  place  with  the  Bangala  natives  on  the  14th  February. 
In  floating  down  the  river,  the  usual  war  signal  was  given — 
drums  were  beaten,  guns  were  loaded,  spears  and  broadswords 
were  being  sharpened,  in  order  to  give  a  bloody  welcome  to 
the  intruders.  We  must  leave  Mr.  Stanley  to  tell  this  desperate 
encounter  in  his  own  words. 

Standing  up  in  his  boat,  Stanley  endeavoured  to  conciliate 
them  by  holding  out  towards  them  a  long  piece  of  red  cloth 
in  one  hand,  and  a  coil  of  brass  wire  in  another.  '  I  observed,' 
he  says,  '  three  or  four  canoes  approaching  Frank's  vessel  with 
a  most  suspicious  air  about  them,  and  several  of  their  crews 
menacing  him,  at  which  Frank  (Pocock)  stood  up  and 
menaced  them  with  his  weapon.  I  thought  the  act  premature, 
and  ordered  him  to  sit  down  and  look  away  from  them.  I 
again  raised  the  crimson  cloth  and  wire,  and,  by  pantomime, 
offered  to  give  it  to  those  in  front,  whom  I  was  previously 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  203 


addressing;    but  almost   immediately  those  natives  who  had 
threatened  Frank  fired  into  my  boat,  wounding  three  of  my 
young  crew — Mambu,  Murabo,  and  Joffrai  ;  and  two  more 
natives  fired  into  Frank's  canoe,  wounding  two — Hatib  and 
Muftah.     The  missiles  fired  into  us  were  jagged  pieces  of  iron 
and  copper  ore,  precisely  similar  to  those  which  the  Ashantees 
employed.     After  this  murderous  outrage,  there  was  no  effort 
made  to  secure  peace.     The  shields  were  lifted,  and  proved 
capital  defences  against  the  hail  of  slugs.     Boat,  shields,  and 
canoes  were  pitted,  but  only  a  few  shields  were  perforated. 
The    conflict    began    in   earnest,   and   lasted    so    long    that 
ammunition  had  to  be  redistributed.     We  perceived  that  as 
the  conflict  continued  every  village  sent  out  its  quota.     About 
two  o'clock  a  canoe  advanced  with  a  swaggering  air,  its  crew 
evidently  intoxicated,  and  fired  at  us  when  within  thirty  yards. 
The  boat  instantly  swept  down  to  it  and  captured  it,  but  the 
crew  sprang  into  the  river,  and,  being  capital  swimmers,  were 
saved  by  a  timely  arrival  of  their  friends.     At  three  o'clock  I 
counted  sixty-three  opposed  to  us.     Some  of  the  Bangala — 
which  they  disclosed  themselves  by  their  peculiar  cries,  "  Yaha- 
ha-ha,   ya   Bangala  ! "    "  Ya   Bangala,   yaha-ha-ha  ! "  —  distin- 
guished themselves  by  an  audacity  and  courage  that,  for  our 
own  sakes,  I  was  glad  to  see  was  not  general ;  especially  one 
young  chief,  distinguished  by  his  head-dress  of  white  goat- 
skin, and  a  short  mantle  of  the  same  material,  and  wreaths  of 
thick  brass  wire  on  neck,  arms,  and  legs,  sufficient,  indeed,  to 
have  protected  those  parts  from  slugs,  and  proving  him  to  be 
a  man  of  consequence.     His  canoe  mates  were  ten  in  number, 
and  his  steersman,  by  his  adroitness  and  dexterity,  managed 
the  canoe  so  well  that  after  he  and  his  mates  had  fired  their 
guns,  he  instantly  presented  its  prow  and  only  a  thin  line  of 


204  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

upright  figures  to  our  aim.     Each  time  he  dashed  up  to  deliver 
his  fire,  all  the  canoes  of  his  countrymen  seemed  stimulated  by 
his  example  to  emulate  him.     And,  allowing  five  guns  on  an 
average  to  each  of  the  sixty -three   canoes,   there   were   315 
muskets  opposed  to  our  44.     Their  mistake  was  in  supposing 
their  slugs  to  have  the  same  penetrative  effect  and  long  range 
as  our  missiles  had.     Only  a  few  of  the  boldest  approached 
after  they  had  experienced  our  fire  within  a  hundred  yards. 
The   young   chief  already  mentioned    frequently  charged   to 
within  fifty  yards,  and  delivered  a  smashing  charge  of  missiles, 
almost  all  of  which  were  either  too  low  or  too  high.     Finally, 
Manwa  Sera  wounded  him  with  a  Snider  bullet  in  the  thigh. 
The  brave  fellow  coolly,  and  in  presence  of  us  all,  took  a 
piece  of  cloth  and  deliberately  bandaged  it,  and  then  calmly 
retreated   towards   shore.      This    action   was   so    noble    and 
graceful    that     orders    were     given     to     let     him    withdraw 
unmolested.     After  his  departure  the  firing  became  desultory, 
and  at  5.30  p.m.  our  antagonists  retired,  leaving  us  to  attend 
to  our  wounded,  and  to  give  three  hearty  cheers  at  our  success. 
This  was  our  thirty-first  fight  on  the  terrible  river,  the  last 
but  one,  and  certainly  the  most  determined  conflict  that  we 
had  endured.'     The  huts  of  these  savage  warriors  stretched 
about  ten  miles  on  the  river  side,  at  intervals  of  a  mile  or 
half  a  mile.     Their  principal  trade  was  in  ivory,  and  the  river 
Bangala  flows   into   the   Congo   from   a   northerly   direction. 
The  two  white  men  of  the  expedition,  Mr.  Stanley  and  Frank 
Pocock,  enjoyed  better  health  on  the  river  than  they  had  done 
on  any  previous  part  of  the  journey. 

While  descending  the  left  bank  of  the  Livingstone,  a  large 
river  emptying  its  waters  into  it  was  discovered,  the  mouth 
of  which  was  over  a  thousand  yards  wide,  the  current  of  which 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY. 


205 


was  strong  and  deep,  and  of  the  colour  of  black  tea.     The 
natives  of  Ikengo  called  it  the  Ikelemba  river.     At  this  time 
they  were  in  a  great  strait  for  food,  any  of  the  natives  they  had 
passed  steadily  refusing  to  supply  it.     Their  wants  were  sup- 
plied at  Ikengo,   however,  on    19th  February.      The  natives 
held  a  market  for  their  benefit  on  the  20th,  when  abundance 
of  black  pigs,  goats,  sheep,  bananas,  plantains,  cassava,  bread, 
flour,  maize,  sweet  potatoes,  yams,  and  fish  were  to  be  had. 
Passing  the  shores  of  Ubangi,  the  natives  fired  at  them,  but 
the  width  of  the  river  and  the  number  of  channels  by  which 
they  could  escape  rendered  their  hostilities  harmless.      The 
islets  which  they  now  passed  were  inexpressibly  grateful  to 
them,  as  they  were  unpeopled,  and  after  the  hard  fighting  they 
had  endured,  and  the  constant  watchfulness  which  they  were 
obliged    to    keep    up,    these    islands    appeared     '  knots    of 
paradise/     The  river  below  Irebu  also  broadened  out  so  much 
that,  as   he   says,  it   might   have   been   a   hundred   miles   in 
breadth,  and  was  capable,  although  so  widely  distributed,  of 
floating  the  most  powerful  steamer  on  the  Mississippi.    Amina, 
the  faithful  wife  of  Kachechi,  was  reported  to  be  dying.     On 
being  visited  by  Stanley,  she  said  :  '  Ah,  master,  I  shall  never 
see  the  sea  again.     Your  child  Amina  is  dying.     I  have  so 
wished  to  see   the  cocoa-nuts  and  the  mangoes  \    but  no — 
Amina  is  dying — dying  in  a  pagan  land.     She  will  never  see 
Zanzibar.      The  master  has  been  good  to  his  children,   and 
Amina  remembers  it.     It  is  a  bad  world,  master,   and  you 
have  lost  your  way  in  it.     Good-bye,  master ;  do  not  forget 
poor  little   Amina.'      After   death,    the   body  of  Amina  was 
dressed  in  its  shroud,  and  at  sunset  was  consigned  to  the  waters 
of  the  river. 

Passing  the  heights  of  Bolobo,  the  river  was  studded  with 


2o6  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

islets,  where  the  natives  carried  on  fishing,  and  salt-making 
from  the  grasses  which  grew  there.  On  the  27th,  below  Bolobo 
and  clearing  the  islets,  the  river  had  broadened  out  into  four 
miles  of  clear  water.  The  natives  began  to  assume  a  more 
civilised  aspect.  Arrived  at  Chumbiri  on  27th  February,  they 
received  a  welcome  from  the  king.  Mr.  Stanley  gives  the 
following  pen-and-ink  sketch  of  the  king :  —  'A  small-eyed 
man  of  about  fifty  or  thereabout,  with  a  well-formed  nose,  but 
wide  nostrils  and  thin  lips,  clean  shaved,  or  rather  clean 
plucked,  with  a  quiet  yet  sociable  demeanour,  ceremonious, 
and  mild-voiced,  with  the  instincts  of  a  greedy  trader  cropping 
out  of  him  at  all  points,  and  cunning  beyond  measure.  The 
type  of  his  curious  hat  may  be  seen  on  the  head  of  any 
Armenian  priest.  It  was  formed  out  of  close-plaited  hyphene- 
palm  fibre,  sufficiently  durable  to  last  his  life  though  he  might 
live  a  century.  From  his  left  shoulder,  across  his  chest,  was 
suspended  the  sword  of  the  bill-hook  pattern,  already  described 
in  the  passages  about  Ikengo.  Above  his  shoulder  stood 
upright  the  bristles  of  an  elephant's  tail.  His  hand  was  armed 
with  a  buffalo's  tail,  made  into  a  fly-flapper,  to  whisk  mosquitoes 
and  gnats  off  the  royal  face.  To  his  wrist  were  attached  the 
odds  and  ends  which  the  laws  of  superstition  had  enjoined 
upon  him,  such  as  charm-gourds,  charm-powders  in  bits  of  red 
and  black  flannel,  and  a  collection  of  wooden  antiquities, 
besides  a  snuff-gourd  and  a  parcel  of  tobacco  leaves.'  The 
king  took  snuff  in  immoderate  quantities,  and  used  a  tobacco 
pipe  which  was  6  feet  in  length,  and  adorned  with  brass  tacks 
and  tassels  of  braided  cloth.  The  bowl  of  the  pipe  was  made 
of  iron,  and  was  large  enough  to  hold  half  an  ounce  of  tobacco. 
The  women  of  Chumbiri  attracted  the  attention  of  the  young 
explorer;  pretty,  many  of  them  of  a  rich  brown  colour,  large- 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  207 

eyed,  and  with  a  graceful  curve  of  shoulder,  they  were  such  as 
he  had  not  often  observed.  Many  of  them  were  in  the  habit 
of  wearing  brass  collars,  the  weight  of  which  in  some  cases 
must  have  been  30  lbs.  Mr.  Stanley  estimated  that  his  wives 
must  wear  800  lbs.  of  brass  round  their  necks  until  death ;  his 
six  daughters,  120  lbs.;  and  his  favourite  female  slaves,  200  lbs. 
On  being  asked  what  he  did  with  the  brass  on  the  neck  of  a 
dead  wife,  he  smiled  and  drew  his  ringer  across  his  throat  in  a 
significant  manner,  plainly  indicating  that  they  were  decapi- 
tated. After  seeing  five  hundred  African  chiefs,  Mr.  Stanley 
leaves  it  on  record  that  the  King  of  Chumbiri  is  the  most 
plausible  rogue  of  all  Africa. 

Leaving  the  friendly  people  of  Chumbiri  on  7th  March,  the 
onward  course  of  the  expedition  was  continued.  A  rapid  river, 
about  250  yards  wide,  having  two  mouths,  was  discovered; 
it  was  named  the  Lawson  river,  after  Mr.  Edward  Levy 
Lawson.  The  tea-coloured  waters  of  the  Ikelemba  river,  it 
was  remarked,  did  not  mingle  with  the  waters  of  the  Living- 
stone until  they  had  both  flowed  side  by  side  for  about  one 
hundred  and  thirty  miles,  or  near  Bolobo.  It  had  changed 
the  Livingstone  from  a  clear  whitey-grey  colour  to  a  deep 
brown.  A  river,  the  Nkutu,  issuing  from  east-north-east,  and 
450  yards  wide  at  the  mouth,  was  passed  on  9th  March. 
This  Stanley  regards  as  the  Coango,  or  Kwango  of  the 
Portuguese,  the  sources  of  which  were  crossed  by  Livingstone 
in  1854.  Six  miles  below  the  mouth  of  this  river  the 
expedition  had  encamped  near  a  thick  grove  to  cook  break- 
fast ;  fires  were  kindled,  and  Stanley  and  Frank  were  awaiting 
the  cook's  voice  to  acquaint  them  that  breakfast  was  ready. 
Suddenly  the  camp  was  startled  by  the  report  of  firing,  and  six 
of  the  men  fell  wounded.     A  desperate  fight  began,  when  the 


2o8  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

savages  were  eventually  beaten  off,  leaving  fourteen  of  Stanley's 
men  wounded.  This  was  the  last  fight,  in  all  the  thirty-second, 
since  entering  on  the  waters  of  the  Livingstone.  On  the  12th, 
the  river,  which  had  previously  narrowed  down  to  1400  yards, 
now  expanded  to  2500  yards,  into  a  lake-like  stretch  of 
water,  with  sandy  islands  rising  in  front  like  a  sea  beach,  and 
on  the  right  a  long  row  of  cliffs  extended  along  the  river  side. 
This  lake-like  expansion,  extending  from  these  cliffs,  which 
Frank  Pocock  suggested  should  be  called  Dover  Cliffs,  to  the 
first  cataract  of  the  Livingstone  Falls,  they  termed  Stanley's 
Pool.  On  12th  March  they  encamped  just  above  the  Living- 
stone Falls.  They  were  visited  here  by  Itsi,  king  of  Ntamo, 
who  supplied  them  with  cassava  pudding,  tubers  of  cassava, 
bananas,  sweet  potatoes,  sugar-cane,  fowls,  and  a  diminutive 
goat.  They  refused  the  liberal  bundle  of  cloths  offered  to 
them  in  exchange.  Itsi  explained  that  he  wanted  only  a  big 
goat  connected  with  the  expedition ;  if  he  had  that,  he  would 
be  satisfied.  This  goat  was  the  last  of  six  couples  purchased 
in  Uregga  for  presentation  to  an  English  lady  in  accordance 
with  a  promise  made  four  years  previously.  An  ass  was 
offered  in  place  of  the  goat,  but  the  chief  growing  sulky, 
Stanley  at  last  consented.  He  received  three  smaller  goats 
in  return. 

After  leaving  Ntamo,  the  character  of  the  river  began  to 
change.  It  now  rushed  vehemently  along  a  steep  bed  ob- 
structed by  reefs  of  lava,  projections  of  rock,  lines  of  large 
boulders,  and  abounding  in  rapids,  cataracts,  and  falls.  Its 
general  feature  was  that  it  rushed  and  roared  through  a  deep, 
yawning  pass  from  a  broad  table-land  down  to  the  Atlantic. 
As  the  river  became  wilder,  the  people  seemed  to  become 
tamer  and  more  approachable,  and  willing  to  trade. 


HENR  Y  M.  STANLE  K  209 

The   Gordon-Bennett   river  was    reached   on   the    15th   of 

March,  and  they  found  it  to  be  an  impetuous  stream  75  yards 

wide ;  here  they  prepared  to  pass  at  the  lower  end  of  the  first 

Livingstone  cataract,  overland,  by  means  of  a  brush-covered 

road.     Of  the  three  Livingstone  cataracts,  this  was  called  the 

*  Father/   and   proved   to   be    the   wildest    stretch    of   water 

Stanley  had  ever  seen.     It  was  like  *  a  strip  of  sea  blown  over 

by  a  hurricane.,     'There  was/  he  says,  *  first  a  rush  down  into 

the   bottom   of  an  immense  trough,  and  then,  by  its  sheer 

force,  the  enormous  volume  would  lift  itself  upward  steeply, 

until,  gathering  itself  into  a  ridge,   it  suddenly  hurjed  itself 

20  or  30  feet  straight  upward,  before  rolling  down  into  another 

trough.     If  I  looked  up  or  down  along  this  angry  scene,  every 

interval  of  50  or  100  yards  of  it  was  marked  by  wave  towers — 

their  collapse  into  foam  and  spray,  the  mad  clash  of  watery 

hills,  bounding  mounds,  and  heaving  billows ;  while  the  base  of 

either  bank,  consisting  of  a  long  line  of  piled-up  boulders  of 

massive  size,  was  buried  in  the  tempestuous  surf/     In  passing 

this  cataract  by  hauling  the  canoes  overland,  several  accidents 

took  place.     Mr.  Stanley  himself  tumbled  into  a  chasm  30 

feet  deep  between  two  large  boulders,  but  escaped  with  a  few 

bruises.     In  passing  a  bad  piece  of  river  called  the  *■  Cauldron,' 

two  canoes  were  lost.     On  28th  March  a  terrible  catastrophe 

took   place;    nine   men  were   lost   over   the   falls,  afterwards 

called  Kalulu  Falls,  from  the  name  of  Kalulu,  who  was  one  of 

those  who  perished  there.     The  falls  were  cleared  by  1st  April, 

when  they  camped  on  the  right  bank  below  them.     On  the 

following  day  they  descended  a  mile  and  a  half  of  rapids, 

when  another  canoe  was  lost,  reducing  their  number  to  thirteen 

vessels.     On  3d  April  they  descended  another  mile  and  a  half 

of  rapids,   during  which  Stanley  narrowly  escaped  drowning, 
in.  o 


2 1  o  FA  MO  US  TRA  FELLERS. 

One  canoe  was  upset,  containing  fifty  tusks  of  ivory  and  a  sack 
of  beads.  Four  men  also  narrowly  escaped  drowning.  When 
approaching  rapids,  the  route  of  the  expedition  was  taken 
overland,  where  a  broad  track  was  strewn  with  bushes  over 
which  to  haul  the  canoes.  On  the  ioth  the  Lady  Alice  had  a 
narrow  escape  from  being  rendered  a  complete  wreck,  getting 
jammed  between  two  rocks  at  the  entrance  to  Gavubu's  Cove. 
The  lower  end  of  the  latter  cove  was  reached  on  the  nth, 
and  a  series  of  rapids  were  passed,  down  which  the  Lady  Alice 
was  drifted  to  the  peril  of  those  on  board.  This  danger 
passed,  they  encamped  at  Nkenke  Bay,  where  the  waters  of 
the  Nkenke,  in  the  shape  of  a  cataract,  poured  themselves 
into  the  Livingstone.  Stanley  now  began  to  contrast  the 
waters,  wild  with  rapids  and  cataracts,  with  the  calmness  of  the 
upper  reaches  of  the  river.  From  the  16th  March  to  the  21st 
April  inclusive,  the  expedition  made  only  thirty-four  miles, 
during  which  they  experienced  many  difficulties  and  mishaps. 
During  the  2  2d  and  the  23d  they  descended  from  Nsougu,  a 
distance  of  five  miles,  to  below  Rocky  Island  Falls,  and  the 
next  three  days  were  occupied  in  descending  a  six-mile  stretch 
to  Inkisi  Falls.  These  falls,  we  are  told,  have  no  clear  drop ; 
*  but  the  river,  being  forced  through  a  chasm  only  500  yards 
wide,  is  flanked  by  curling  waves  of  destructive  fury,  which 
meet  in  the  centre,  overlap,  and  strike  each  other ;  while  below 
is  an  absolute  chaos  of  mad  waters,  leaping  waves,  deep 
troughs,  contending  watery  ridges,  tumbling  and  tossing  for  a 
distance  of  two  miles. '  The  natives  from  the  neighbourhood 
crowded  around  the  members  of  the  expedition,  expecting  to 
see  something  extraordinary  happen  should  they  venture  to  go 
over  the  rapids.  Instead  of  this,  however,  Stanley  ordered 
that  the  canoes  be  hauled  up  the  mountain  beside  the  falls, 


HENR  Y  M.  STANLE  Y.  211 

and  afterwards  pass  over  the  table-land.  That  this  was  a  work 
of  no  small  difficulty  may  be  learned  from  the  fact  that  the 
height  was  1200  feet,  and  that  two  or  three  of  the  canoes  were 
of  heavy  teak,  over  70  feet  in  length,  and  weighing  over 
three  tons. 

Stanley  and  Frank  Pocock  began  to  be  in  want,  like  the 
prodigal  son  in  the  parable.  Their  stores  of  those  luxuries 
of  civilisation,  tea,  coffee,  and  sugar,  had  come  to  an  end. 
Stanley's  last  pair  of  boots  were  worn  out,  and  long  ago 
Frank  Pocock  had  been  wearing  sandals  made  of  a  leather 
portmanteau,  but  often  also  appeared  writh  bare  white  feet, 
for  which  Mr.  Stanley  reproached  him.  It  required  some 
generalship  to  induce  the  native  to  compound  a  more  savoury 
mess  than  usual  of  cassava,  ground  nuts,  pea  nuts,  yams,  or 
green  bananas. 

While  the  canoes  were  being  transported  by  the  help  of 
Manwa  Sera  and  neighbouring  chiefs  over  the  ground  between 
Inkisi  Falls  and  Nzabi,  Stanley  explored  the  neighbouring 
forests,  making  jottings  of  the  remarkable  trees  which  fell 
under  his  observation ;  and  choosing  two  fine  trees,  well 
adapted  for  his  purpose,  had  them  cut  down  and  transformed 
into  canoes  to  replace  those  he  had  lost.  The  largest  canoe, 
of  teak- wood,  54  feet  long  and  over  2  feet  wide,  was  launched 
on  2 2d  May.  The  chief  of  Nzabi  was  well  rewarded  for  the 
assistance  rendered  to  Stanley  with  gifts  of  goods  far  exceed- 
ing his  hopes.  In  passing  the  falls  of  Mowa,  the  Lady  Alice 
had  her  bottom  stove  in.  The  whole  expedition,  journeying 
partly  by  land  and  partly  by  water,  had  safely  passed  the 
great  Mowa  Falls  by  the  27th.  On  this  day  it  was  discovered 
that  Uledi,  the  coxswain,  one  of  the  most  devoted  of  Stanley's 
followers,  had  stolen  a  quantity  of  beads  from  their  already 


212  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

impoverished  store.  Uledi  was  one  of  the  first-class  men  of 
the  expedition,  and  up  to  that  time  had  saved  thirteen  persons 
from  drowning.  It  was  proved  against  him.  At  the  close 
of  the  trial,  young  Saywa  stepped  forward,  and  kneeling, 
seized  his  feet  and  embraced  them,  saying :  *  The  master  is 
wise.  All  things  that  happen  he  writes  in  a  book.  Each 
day  there  is  something  written.  We  black  men  know  nothing, 
neither  have  we  any  memory.  What  we  say  yesterday  is 
to-day  forgotten.  Yet  the  master  forgets  nothing.  Perhaps," 
if  the  master  will  look  into  his  books,  he  may  see  something 
in  it  about  Uledi.  How  Uledi  behaved  on  Lake  Tanganyika ; 
how  he  rescued  Zaidi  from  the  cataract ;  how  he  has  saved 
many  men,  whose  names  I  cannot  remember,  from  the  river, 
Bill  Ali,  Mabruki,  Kom-Kusi,  and  others ;  how  he  worked 
harder  in  the  canoes  than  any  three  men ;  how  he  has  been 
the  first  to  listen  to  your  voice  always ;  how  he  has  been  the 
father  of  the  boat-boys,  and  many  other  things.  With  Uledi, 
master,  the  boat-boys  are  good  and  ready ;  without  him,  they 
are  nothing.  Uledi  is  Shumari's  brother.  If  Uledi  is  bad, 
Shumari  is  good.  Uledi  is  my  cousin.  If,  as  the  chiefs  say, 
Uledi  should  be  punished,  Shumari  says  he  will  take  a  half 
of  the  punishment,  then  give  Saywa  the  other  half,  and  set 
Uledi  free.     Saywa  has  spoken.' 

'  Very  well,'  I  said.  '  Uledi,  by  the  voice  of  the  people,  is 
condemned ;  but  as  Shumari  and  Saywa  have  promised  to  take 
the  punishment  on  themselves,  Uledi  is  set  free,  and  Shumari 
and  Saywa  are  pardoned.' 

Uledi,  upon  being  released,  advanced  and  said,  '  Master,  it 
was  not  Uledi  who  stole ;  it  was  the  devil  which  entered  into  his 
heart.  Uledi  will  be  good  in  future,  and  if  he  pleased  his  master 
before,  he  will  please  his  master  much  more  in  time  to  come.' 


HENR  Y  M.  STANLE  Y.  213 


The  Babwende  tribe  at  Mowa  were  liberal  and  hospitable, 
but  easily  aroused  to  the  fighting  pitch,  and  very  superstitious. 
Having  remarked  that  Stanley  used  a  note-book  for  observa- 
tions, and  in  order  to  note  down  many  native  words,  they 
ascribed  some  evil  power  to  its  use,  and,  assuming  a  hostile 
appearance,  asked  him  to  burn  it.  If  he  did  not  do  it,  the 
country  would  waste,  their  goats  die,  their  bananas  rot,  and 
other  evils  would  come  upon  them.  Our  explorer  very 
cleverly  substituted  a  copy  of  Shakespeare,  Chandos  edition, 
and  burnt  it  instead  of  his  note-book,  to  the  immense  relief 
of  the  people.  The  neighbourhood  of  Mowa  was  rich  in 
bees -wax,  about  a  hundredweight  having  been  discovered 
clinging  to  a  lofty  fragment  of  rock  near  Massassa  Falls. 
India-rubber  and  gum  copal  were  also  plentiful.  One  of  their 
very  curious  customs  was  the  firing  of  a  gun  to  announce  a 
death;  six  shots  announced  a  child's  death,  ten  that  of  a 
woman,  and  fifteen  that  of  a  man.  The  firing  is  directed 
at  the  bananas  and  palms,  their  belief  being  that  the  death 
has  been  caused-  by  bad  bananas  or  a  fault  in  the  palm 
juice. 

The  Zinga  Falls  lay  two  miles  below  Mowa;  and  half-way 
between,  the  Edwin  Arnold  river  descends  *  in  a  long  cascade- 
like descent,  with  a  sheer  drop  of  300  feet  *  into  the  Living- 
stone. Its  width  is  50  yards,  with  an  average  depth  of  3  feet. 
The  evening  of  2d  June  Stanley  spent,  as  usual,  with  Frank 
Pocock  beside  him  in  his  tent.  Although  suffering  from 
virulent  ulcers  in  his  feet,  Frank  was  unusually  cheerful  that 
night,  while  repairing  tattered  clothes,  and  the  other  odds  and 
ends  which  needed  repairing  connected  with  the  expedition. 
He  sang  loudly  and  well  many  a  song  or  hymn  which  he  had 
learned  in  Rochester  Church.     They  had  now  been  thirty-four 


2i4  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

months  together,  and  the  servant,  as  Stanley  remarked,  had 
long  ago  merged  into  the  companion. 

The  3d  day  of  June  was  a  sad  one  for  the  expedition,  for 
on  that  day  Frank  Pocock  and  other  three  men  were  drowned 
in  endeavouring  to  descend  the  falls  of  Massassa.  Having 
halted  seven  days  at  Mowa,  Stanley  prepared  to  leave  Mowa 
for  Zinga,  to  establish  a  camp  above  its  great  cataract.  One 
party,  consisting  of  the  women  and  children,  and  sixty  men, 
carrying  the  stores,  tents,  and  equipments,  were  to  travel  the 
three  miles  by  land.  Another  party,  consisting  of  the  boat's 
crew,  were  to  pick  their  way  carefully  down  the  river,  and, 
on  coming  to  Massassa,  were  to  judge  as  to  their  ability  to 
pass  the  falls.  Frank  Pocock,  being  an  invalid,  was  to  re- 
main behind  until  a  hammock  and  six  men  should  be  sent  to 
carry  him.  Stanley  arrived  at  a  point  above  Zinga  Falls  in  the 
afternoon.  Four  kings  were  present,  and  hundreds  of  natives, 
all  anxious  to  see  him,  A  hammock  and  breakfast  for  Pocock 
were  sent  at  1  p.m.  In  the  meantime,  Frank  Pocock  had  dis- 
obeyed orders,  and  entered  the  canoe  which  was  to  make 
down  the  river.  When  they  reached  the  head  of  the  falls  of 
Massassa,  Frank  made  light  of  the  difficulties  of  passing  down 
the  falls,  in  spite  of  the  decided  opinion  of  Uledi  that  they 
could  by  no  means  do  it  and  live.  He  was  the  means  of 
inducing  them  to  attempt  the  falls  of  Massassa,  taunting 
Uledi  and  his  men  that  they  were  afraid.  The  result  was 
that  they  were  hurled  irresistibly  downward,  and  plunged 
headlong  among  the  waves  and  the  spray  of  the  falls.  Eight 
of  them  escaped  alive,  and  amongst  those  who  perished  was 
Frank  Pocock.  Ndala,  the  chief,  and  many  of  the  natives, 
sympathized  with  the  young  explorer  in  this  terrible  calamity. 
They  offered  him  palm-wine,  and  showed  him  all  the  sympathy 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY.  215 

^^^_ ___^ * 

they  could.  His  own  followers,  the  Wangwana,  seemed  to 
grow  benumbed,  stupid,  and  apathetic  under  the  calamity. 
Stanley's  own  feelings  are  expressed  in  these  words : — '  As  I 
looked/  he  says,  *  at  the  empty  tent,  and  the  dejected,  woe- 
stricken  servants,  a  choking  sensation  of  unutterable  grief 
filled  me.  The  sorrow-laden  mind  fondly  recalled  the  lost 
man's  inestimable  qualities,  his  extraordinary  gentleness,  his 
patient  temper,  his  industry,  cheerfulness,  and  his  tender 
friendship;  it  dwelt  upon  the  pleasure  of  his  society,  his 
general  usefulness,  his  piety,  and  cheerful  trust  in  our  success, 
with  which  he  had  renewed  our  hope  and  our  courage ;  and 
each  new  virtue  that  it  remembered  only  served  to  intensify 
my  sorrow  for  his  loss,  and  to  suffuse  my  heart  with  pity  and 
regret  that,  after  the  exhibition  of  so  many  admirable  quali- 
ties, and  such  long,  faithful  service,  he  should  depart  this  life 
so  abruptly,  and  without  reward.'  And  so  Stanley  sat  for 
hours  upon  a  warm  boulder  near  the  Zinga  Falls,  looking 
upwards  towards  the  treacherous  Massassa,  hoping  against 
hope  that  it  might  not  be  true,  and  that  he  might  have  escaped. 
Confirmation  of  the  fact  was  received,  however,  eight  days 
afterwards.  A  fisherman,  skimming  a  certain  pool  at  Kilanga 
for  whitebait,  was  horrified  to  witness,  floating  upon  the 
water,  the  upturned  face  of  a  white  man. 

After  great  labour,  by  19th  June  all  the  canoes  were  safely 
brought  down  to  Zinga,  past  the  dreaded  Massassa.  These 
operations  had  been  seriously  hindered  at  first  by  a  mutiny 
amongst  some  of  the  men,  who  declared  that  they  would  rather 
hoe  for  the  heathen  than  follow  him,  as  the  end  of  it  would 
surely  be  death.  A  body  of  them  left  the  camp,  and  were 
only  made  to  return  by  using  force.  On  23d  June,  the  new 
canoe,  the  Livi?igstone%  was  carried  over  the  Zinga  Falls,  and 


216  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

the  chief  carpenter,  who  was  in  it  at  the  time,  was  drowned. 
By  25th  June,  all  the  canoes  of  the  expedition  were  safely 
beyond  Zinga.  'A  month  ago/  he  enters  in  his  journal,  'we 
descended  the  Upper  Mowa  Falls ;  it  is  still  in  sight  of  me, 
being  only  three  miles  off.  Three  miles  in  thirty  days,  and 
four  persons  drowned  even  in  this  short  distance. ' 

With  great  danger  to  themselves,  the  Lady  Alice  and  her 
crew  shot  the  Mbelo  Falls.  These  rapids  were  as  dangerous 
as  those  which  the  Lady  Alice  had  sped  down  on  a  previous 
occasion.  Kelanga  reached,  the  danger  of  famine  impelled 
th£m  towards  the  sea  coast.  Mpakambendi  was  reached  on 
6th  July.  Here  the  river  assumed  a  milder  aspect,  being  less 
hampered  by  boulders  and  cliffy  narrows.  The  foot  of  Nseuga 
Mount  was  reached  by  10th  July.  Then  Nsovoka  was 
reached,  and  afterwards  Lukalu.  The  warlike  district  of 
Kakougo  was  reached  on  13th  July,  when  a  market  was  held 
below  Matunda  Falls,  where  bananas,  pine-apples,  guavas, 
limes,  onions,  fish,  cassava  bread,  ground  nuts,  palm-butter, 
earthenware  pots,  baskets,  and  nets,  were  given  in  exchange 
for  beads,  wire,  guns,  powder,  and  crockery.  The  falls  of 
Ntombo  Mataka  were  passed  on  the  16th  July  with  the 
assistance  of  the  natives,  the  Mtombo  Mataka,  which  Mr. 
Stanley  holds  to  be  the  politest  people  he  had  met  with  in 
Africa.  By  the  20th  July,  they  had  descended  to  the  Mata 
river,  where  they  found  that  the  natives  would  not  part  with 
food  except  at  extravagant  prices.  They  employed  them- 
selves chiefly  here  in  whitebait  and  minnow  catching.  On 
25th  July,  Safeni,  one  of  his  followers,  went  mad  with  joy 
at  the  news  that  they  were  not  far  from  the  sea.  He  said, 
■  We  have  reached  the  sea  !  We  are  home !  we  are  home ! 
We   shall  no  more  be  tormented   by   empty   stomachs,  and 


HENRY  M.  STANLEY,  217 

accursed  savages  !  I  am  about  to  run  all  the  way  to  the 
sea,  to  tell  your  brothers  you  are  coming. '  And  he  did  run 
off  to  the  woods,  and  was  never  more  heard  of.  Kilolo  was 
reached  on  28th  July.  The  gallant  explorer  was  now  way- 
worn and  weary.  *  The  freshness  and  ardour  of  feeling  with 
which  I  had  set  out  from  the  Indian  Ocean  had,  by  this  time, 
been  quite  worn  away.  Fevers  had  sapped  the  frame ;  over- 
much trouble  had  strained  the  spirit ;  hunger  had  debilitated 
the  body ;  anxiety  preyed  upon  the  mind.  My  people  were 
groaning  aloud ;  their  sunken  eyes  and  unfleshed  bodies  were 
a  living  reproach  to  me  ;  their  vigour  was  now  gone,  though 
their  fidelity  was  unquestionable  ;  their  knees  were  bent  with 
weakness,  and  their  backs  were  no  longer  rigid  with  the  vigour 
of  youth,  and  life,  and  strength,  and  fire  of  devotion.  Hollow- 
eyed,  sallow,  and  gaunt,  unspeakably  miserable  in  aspect,  we 
yielded  at  length  to  imperious  nature,  and  had  but  one  thought 
only — to  trudge  on  for  one  look  more  at  the  blue  ocean. ' 
After  a  tolerably  long  stretch  of  calm  water,  they  reached  the 
district  of  Kilolo.  Here  some  of  his  followers  roused  the 
wrath  of  the  natives  through  stealing  cassava  and  beans. 
Three  of  them  were  taken  prisoners,  and  six  of  his  men  were 
wounded.  Ali  Kiboga,  one  of  those  who  had  been  taken 
prisoner,  afterwards  made  his  escape  towards  the  coast,  when 
he  reached  Boma.  From  Boma  he  was  sent  to  Kabinda,  and 
thence  to  Loanda.  From  the  latter  place  he  was  taken  to 
St.  Helena,  and  thence  by  one  of  Donald  Currie's  steamers, 
gratuitously,  to  Cape  Town.  He  was  afterwards  wrecked  when 
on  board  the  Kaffir^  bound  for  Zanzibar,  but  was  rescued. 

By  30th  July  the  cataract  of  Isangila  was  reached.  The 
supplies  received  here  from  the  natives  of  Mwato  Zinge, 
Mwato   Wandu,   and  Mbinda,  were  scarce  and  dear.     They 


218  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

here  received  the  good  news  that  Embomma  was  distant  five 
days'  journey.  After  deciding  in  his  own  mind  that  he  had 
now  unmistakeably  proved  that  the  great  river  of  Livingstone 
had  been  connected  with  the  Congo  of  Captain  Tuckey, 
Stanley  abandoned  the  river  route,  and  decided  to  make  the 
remainder  of  the  journey  overland.  The  joy  amongst  his 
men  was  great  at  this  news.  On  the  31st  July  the  Lady  Alice 
was  carried  to  the  north  of  the  falls  and  left  there.  The 
following  is  the  biography  of  the  boat  :  *  Three  years  before, 
Messenger  of  Teddington  had  commenced  her  construction ; 
two  years  previous  to  this  date,  she  was  coasting  the  bluffs  of 
Uzongora  on  Lake  Victoria ;  twelve  months  later  she  was 
completing  her  last  twenty  miles  of  the  circumnavigation  of 
Lake  Tanganyika;  and  on  the  31st  July  1877,  after  a  journey 
of  nearly  7000  miles  up  and  down  broad  Africa,  she  was  con- 
signed to  her  resting-place  above  the  Isangila  cataract,  to 
bleach  and  to  rot  to  dust.'  The  expedition  was  in  a  miserable 
condition  when  it  left  Isangila  on  1st  August.  Many  were  ill 
with  dysentery,  ulcers,  and  scurvy  \  their  food  was  scanty  and 
bad,  and  they  were  weary  and  heart-sick. 

Reaching  the  village  of  Nsanda,  permission  was  received 
from  the  chief  to  send  two  of  his  men,  accompanied  by 
three  from  the  expedition  with  a  letter  to  Embomma  for 
relief.  The  letter  explained  the  miserable  condition  of 
the  one  hundred  and  fifteen  souls,  —  men,  women,  and 
children,  —  and  asked  supplies  of  food  and  cloth.  Within 
two  days  the  fainting  spirits  of  the  men  were  revived  by  the 
return  of  the  messengers  with  relief  from  the  agents  of  Hatton 
&  Cookson,  the  English  Factory,  Embomma.  A  procession  of 
carriers  brought  provisions,  cloth,  rice,  fish,  tobacco.  With 
profoundest  gratitude,  Mr.  Stanley  found,  on  going  to  his  tent, 


HENR  Y  M.  STANLE  Y  219 

that  the  luxuries  of  civilisation  had  not  been  forgotten.  Sup- 
plies of  pale  ale,  sherry,  port  wine,  champagne,  several  loaves 
of  bread,  two  pots  of  butter,  tea,  coffee,  white  loaf  sugar, 
sardines  and  salmon,  plum-pudding,  currant,  gooseberry,  and 
raspberry  jam.  On  the  999th  day  of  his  departure  from 
Zanzibar,  he  was  met  and  feasted  by  a  deputation  from 
Embomma,  offered  the  freedom  of  Boma,  and  warmly  con- 
gratulated on  the  successful  completion  of  his  journey.  And 
so  the  wearied  men  staggered  into  Embomma,  where  they 
were  well  fed  and  cared  for.  During  his  two  days'  stay, 
three  banquets  were  given  in  his  honour. 

Little  remains  to  add.  Leaving  Boma  in  the  steamer 
Kabinda,  they  called  at  Kabinda,  and  received  a  cordial 
welcome  from  Messrs.  Phillips,  Wills,  Price,  and  Jones.  The 
change  upon  the  Wangwana,  from  a  life  of  trial  and  hardship 
to  one  of  ease  and  comfort,  had  a  very  depressing  effect,  and 
many  of  them  took  ill  in  consequence.  The  expedition,  after 
an  eight  days'  stay  at  Kabinda,  was  embarked  on  board  a 
Portuguese  vessel  for  San  Paulo  de  Loanda;  the  utmost- 
courtesy  and  kindness  were  experienced  from  the  Portuguese 
officers  towards  Stanley  and  his  men.  Next  embarking  on 
board  the  Industry  for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  they  arrived 
there  on  21st  October.  After  receiving  the  kindest  attentions 
there,  on  the  6th  November  they  again  embarked  for  Zanzibar, 
arriving  there  on  26th  November.  The  arrival  home  of  the 
Wangwana  was  the  signal  for  every  demonstration  of  happiness. 
After  settling  with  the  survivors  of  the  expedition,  and  going 
through  an  affecting  parting  with  his  men,  Mr.  H.  M.  Stanley 
sailed  from  Zanzibar  for  Aden  on  13th  December.  The  men 
shook  hands  with  him  twenty  times  at  parting,  he  believed. 
*  Rapidly,  as  in  some  apocalyptic  vision,'  he    writes,    *  every 


2  20  FA  MO  US  TRA  VELLERS. 

scene  of  strife  with  man  and  nature  through  which  these  poor 
men  and  women  had  borne  me  company,  and  solaced  me  by 
the  simple  sympathy  of  common  suffering,  came  hurrying  across 
my  memory  ;  for  each  face  before  me  was  associated  with  some 
adventure  or  some  peril,  and  reminded  me  of  some  triumph  or 
of  some  loss.  .  .  .  For  me,  too,  they  are  heroes,  these  poor 
ignorant  children  of  Africa ;  for,  from  the  first  deadly  struggle 
in  savage  Ituru  to  the  last  staggering  rush  into  Embomma, 
they  had  rallied  to  my  voice  like  veterans,  and  in  the  hour 
of  need  they  had  never  failed  me.  And  thus,  aided  by  their 
willing  hands  and  by  their  loyal  hearts,  the  expedition  had 
been  successful,  and  the  three  great  problems  of  the  Dark 
Continent's  geography  had  been  fairly  solved.' 

Mr.  Stanley  received  an  enthusiastic  reception  from  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  London,  and  delivered  lectures 
on  the  work  which  he  had  accomplished  in  various  parts  of 
the  country.  With  his  customary  energy,  the  account  of  his 
travels  was  written  and  published  within  a  few  months  after 
his  arrival  in  this  country. 

Mr.  Stanley  has  since  acted  as  the  leader  of  a  Belgian 
International  Expedition  to  the  Congo.  This  expedition  is 
of  a  scientific,  industrial,  and  commercial  nature,  thoroughly 
equipped  with  materials  for  constructing  houses;  possessing 
wooden  huts,  tents,  provisions,  arms,  and  general  merchandise. 
The  expedition  attempts  to  form  temporary  or  permanent 
stations  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  is  accompanied  (1879) 
by  men  of  all  trades  likely  to  be  of  service. 


MAJOR     SERPA     PINTO. 


HE  journey  performed  by  Major  Pinto  across  Africa 
in  a  south-eastern  direction,  from  Benguela  to 
Natal,  during  1877-79,  entitles  him  to  take  high 
rank  as  an  adventurous  and  successful  traveller.  This  journey, 
undertaken  for  the  sole  purpose  of  geographical  investigation, 
was  under  the  auspices  of  the  Portuguese  Government. 
Immediately  upon  his  return  to  Lisbon  on  7th  July  1879, 
Major  Pinto  took  an  early  opportunity  of  laying  before  the  chief 
geographers  in  London,  Paris,  and  Brussels,  the  details  of  his 
remarkable  journey.  He  appeared  at  the  meeting  of  the 
British  Association  held  at  Sheffield  in  August,  reading  a  paper 
in  the  Geographical  section.  In  a  letter  submitted  to  Lord 
Northbrook,  President  of  the  Council  of  the  Royal  Geographi- 
cal Society,  on  16th  July  1879,  ne  gave  a  brief  narrative  of 
his  travels,  of  which  we  present  a  condensed  account. 

Starting  from  Benguela,  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  Major  Pinto 
reached  Bihe,  a  native  settlement  in  the  interior,  notifying  as 
he  went  the  position  of  rivers,  mountains,  and  villages,  the 
chief  of  which,  subject  to  Portuguese  rule,  are  Quillengues 
and  Caconda.  In  May  1878  he  left  Bihe,  travelling  east- 
south-east,  with  a  view  of  reaching  the  Zambesi,  and  deter- 

221 


222  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 

mining  its  hydrographical  system.  The  country  which  forms 
the  southern  limit  of  the  Benguelan  highlands  he  found  stood 
5000  feet  above  sea  level,  and  was  well  adapted  for  purposes 
of  agriculture.  Indeed,  this  is  the  district  which  of  all  tropical 
Africa  he  considers  best  adapted  for  European  colonization. 
After  leaving  Bihe,  owing  to  circumstances  alien  to  the  wishes 
of  the  Portuguese  Government,  his  journey  had  to  be  performed 
on  his  own  resources,  he  and  his  party  supporting  themselves 
by  hunting,  with  occasional  help  from  friendly  natives.  His 
hunting  exploits  and  adventures  are  fully  related  in  the  book 
of  travels  which  he  has  published. 

Before  reaching  Bihe,  Pinto  found  the  Cubango  river  taking 
its  rise  to  the  west  of  that  place,  instead  of  to  the  east,  as  usually 
stated.  This  river  receives  on  the  east  a  great  affluent,  the  Cuito, 
which  unites  its  waters  with  the  Cubango  at  a  place  called 
Darico.  The  Cuando,  called  Chobe  by  Livingstone,  takes  its 
rise  east  of  the  river  Cuito,  in  latitude  130  and  longitude  190  e. 
Pinto  terms  it  a  fine  large  navigable  river,  watering  a  great  extent 
of  inhabited  and  fertile  country.  The  Cuando  also  receives 
several  great  affluents  as  navigable  as  itself.  It  was  in  this 
region,  covered  in  with  forests,  where  the  elephant  still  abounds, 
that  Major  Pinto  met  the  Mucassequeres,  a  tribe  of  Ethiopian 
origin,  of  a  yellowish-white  colour.  They  are  described  as 
nomadic,  and  perfectly  savage,  spending  their  time  in  wander- 
ing continually  in  the  region  between  the  Cuando  and  the 
Cubango. 

In  his  remarks  before  the  Geographical  section  of  the 
British  Association,  he  mentioned  another  strange  example  of 
the  mixture  of  races  he  found  in  a  people  who,  though  black, 
had  Caucasian  features,  many  of  whom,  but  for  their  colour, 
would  have  been  considered  great  beauties  in  this  country. 


MAJOR  SERF  A  PINTO.  223 

The  Bihe  district  was  inhabited,  he  said,  by  a  mixed  race  who 
had  come  there  about  a  hundred  years  ago  for  elephant  shooting, 
and  who  were  as  pure  Africans  as  were  the  Zulus  of  the  south. 
There  the  dwellings  were  square  in  shape,  a  sure  sign  of  some 
civilisation.  Their  cooking  was  good,  and  so  well  could  they 
work  in  iron  that  they  converted  for  him  a  number  of  iron 
hoops  into  rifle  balls.  Their  courageous  character  was  ex- 
emplified by  the  fact  that  they  sometimes  went  to  hunt 
elephants  with  bows  and  arrows,  the  latter  having  reed  shafts. 
The  Major  also  gave  an  amusing  account  of  the  coiffures  of 
both  men  and  women.  A  beauty  in  Bihe,  it  appeared,  takes 
about  four  or  five  days  to  complete  her  coiffure,  but  then  it 
lasts  about  six  months. 

The  country  above  mentioned  is  very  fertile,  inhabited  as  it 
is  by  people  of  a  docile  character,  susceptible  of  development, 
and  remarkably  fond  of  dress,  which  Major  Pinto  considers 
augurs  well  for  the  after  consumption  of  European  manu- 
factures. They  are  governed  absolutely  by  independent  rulers, 
and  although  belonging  to  different  races,  they  constitute 
confederations.  No  missionary  had  been  amongst  them,  and 
Major  Pinto,  who  was  well  received,  was  the  first  European 
they  had  seen.  In  travelling  eastward  the  Liambi  is  the  first 
river  met  with  beyond  the  Cuando.  Livingstone  had  previously 
visited  this  river.  Between  the  16th  parallel  of  latitude  and 
the  Victoria  Falls,  a  distance  of  220  geographical  miles,  the 
river  has  seventy-two  cataracts  and  rapids.  Livingstone  had 
predicted  the  extinction  of  the  Makololo  tribe  in  this  part  of 
Africa,  and  Major  Pinto  was  able  to  confirm  and  verify  this 
prediction :  it  is  this  same  people,  he  remarks,  bearing  the 
name  of  Makololos,  in  former  times  so  brave,  and  later  on  so 
weakened  from  the  effects  of  fevers  in  the  marsh  lands  of  the 


224  FAMOUS  TRAVELLERS. 


Chobe  and  Zambesi,  abased  by  licentiousness,  and  enfeebled 
by  the  use  of  bang,  who  are  at  last  put  to  death  by  the  assegais 
of  the  Luinas.  The  Makololo  race  has  thus  ceased  to  have 
a  separate  existence.  Whilst  on  the  Zambesi,  Major  Pinto 
had  an  opportunity  of  meeting  Mochuana,  who  had  been 
Livingstone's  companion  on  his  journey  to  Loanda,  and  to 
this  man  he  owed  his  life. 

South  of  the  Zambesi  and  the  Cuando,  the  land  surface  of 
the  country  exhibited  a  rich  vegetation,  but  as  far  as  popula- 
tion was  concerned  was  but  a  desert.  In  travelling  here  Major 
Pinto  met  a  Portuguese  naturalist,  Dr.  Benjamin  Bradshaw, 
a  clever  sportsman,  living  principally  upon  game  and  in  selling 
his  specimens  to  the  dwellers  in  the  Diamond  Fields. 

In  company  with  the  family  of  a  French  missionary,  the 
Coillards,  who  showed  him  much  kindness,  the  journey  was 
made  from  the  Zambesi  to  the  Bamangwato  country,  where 
they  visited  the  famous  Makarikari,  the  enormous  basin  into 
which  run  and  are  evaporated  the  waters  of  many  different 
African  rivers  flowing  from  different  points.  There  ends  the 
Botletle,  which,  he  says,  is  nothing  else  than  the  Cubango, 
after  having  made  its  passage  through  Lake  N'gami.  Sho- 
shong  he  found  to  be  the  chief  town  of  the  Bamangwato. 
From  this  place  he  journeyed  to  Pretoria,  and  from  Pretoria  to 
Natal,  in  company  with  a  young  English  officer,  Lieutenant 
Barker.  To  the  country  which  he  crossed  between  the 
Botletle  and  the  Zambesi,  he  gave  the  name  of  Baines'  Desert, 
in  memory  of  Thomas  Baines,  wrho  had  laboured  and  worked 
amidst  great  privations  for  the  exploration  of  Southern  Africa. 

THE   END. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
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R  EC  El  V  E 

MAR    1'67 

LOAN  OEPT 


LD  21-100m-ll,'49(B7146sl6)476 


